SAURIANS. 503 



arranged in a quincunx or five fold order, and overlaying each 

 other like the tiles of a house, as we see in large scaled fishes, 

 as, for instance, the Carp. The scales of the under parts and 

 sides, are nearly of the same size and shape as those of the back. 

 This distinguishes them from the True Lizards, in which the 

 ventral scales are much larger than those of the back, with the 

 outlines angular. There are no lateral furrows or folds of skin 

 extending along the flanks; this again separates them from the 

 Chalcidians. The tongue is free, fleshy, notched at its point, 

 without a sheath, and covered either altogether, or in part, with 

 papillae. The whole surface of the scales being generally 

 smooth and polished, many of these reptiles, glide easily into 

 small crevices ; and they creep by giving a tortuous and snake- 

 like motion to the trunk and tail. The limbs vary in different 

 groups, being four, two, or none; when present, they are short. 



The Skinks include about a hundred species, variously dis- 

 tributed over the globe. The largest number of species is found 

 in Australia, which has nearly forty peculiar to itself. Asia 

 claims the next largest number; then comes Africa, and after- 

 wards America. Europe numbers scarcely more than six or 

 eight species. Five species are found within the limits of the 

 United States. 



The Skinks have been arranged into three sub-families, dis- 

 tinguished from each other by peculiarities relating to the eyes. 



I. Saurophthalmia, (Gr. sauros, a saurian ; ophthalmos, an 

 eye.) The members of this sub-family have movable eye-lids, 

 which can be brought together so as to entirely cover the eye. 

 Most of them have four feet, but some have two, while others 

 appear to have none. All are without femoral pores. The 

 lowest form of this group is the Acontias, (Gr. a serpent that 

 darts from a tree on its prey.) Of this, only one species is 

 known, the Acontius meleagris, found at the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Though much like a serpent in the absence of feet, and of a 

 tympanic orifice, it possesses most of the characters of the Skinks. 

 The tongue, as in the Blind or Slow Worm, is flat, and like an 

 arrow-head, with scarcely any notch at the tip. The eyes are 

 very minute, and there is only a single eye-lid, which proceeds 

 from the lower part of the orbit. The scales are smooth and 

 imbricated. 



II. Genus Anguis, (Lat. a snake,) is probably the best repre- 

 sentative of the Serpentine or Footless Skinks. This is charac- 

 terised by a cylindrical aad snake-like body and tail, as well as 

 by the absence of limbs. The eyes, as in the preceding species, 

 are very minute. Only one species is known, viz : the SLOW 



