SAURIANS. 499 



and side ; the under parts orange, spotted with black, or, in the 

 female, pale gray, with a tinge of green. 



The genus Ophiops, (Gr. ophis, serpent ; dps, eye,) is princi- 

 pally distinguished by having no eye-lids, or merely rudimentary 

 ones, like the Serpents. 



The species Ophiops Megans, is of an olive color above, with 

 two lines of yellow on each side of the body, having two rows 

 of black spots between them. 



EIGHTH FAMILY, CTidlcid. CHALCIDES. 



This and the succeeding family of Skinks, each conduct to the 

 Ophidia, or Snakes. These two families have, therefore, some- 

 times been regarded as constituting an intermediate order be- 

 tween the Saurians and Ophidia, and termed Saurophidia, or 

 Lizard-Snakes. Some of the genera of the present family are, 

 by Cuvier, classed with the Snakes, as they are without limbs, and 

 resemble the latter in other respects in their structure. 



The animals of this family are readily distinguishable by the 

 arrangement of the scales or markings of the skin, and by the 

 lateral furrow found in many species. Some of them are fur- 

 nished with four legs; others with but two; while another por- 

 tion of the family are entirely serpent-like in their appearance, 

 in consequence of the absence of these members outside of the 

 skin. The trunk of the body blends with the head and tail, 

 without any distinct lines of division, and is covered with scales 

 which, instead of being imbricated like those of fishes, are ar- 

 ranged in whorls or rings enclosing the body. Where the scales 

 are absent, furrows in the hardened skin exhibit similar mark- 

 ings. The teeth are not implanted in the jaws, but appended 

 along the margin or internal edge, thus showing the true 

 pleurodont character; the tongue is free, but not very extensi- 

 ble ; it is broad, and covered with papillce, and is notched at the 

 front ; the ears are apparent externally in some species, while 

 others present no such indications. The eyes are generally 

 small and slightly developed. Some species have movable eye- 

 lids; in others, these organs are not movable ; while a few have 

 the entire ball of the eye covered by the skin. 



The Reptiles are confined chiefly to Africa and America. 

 Mexico, California, and the Southern parts of the Union have 

 quite a number of species, some fifty of which have been de- 

 scribed and arranged in sixteen or more genera. They have 

 been divided into two sub-families, according as the skin is cov. 

 ered with scales, or destitute of them. (1) Ptychopleura, (Gr. 



