TACERTILIA AND CROCODILIA. 



46. 



the head is protected by larger plates. The tongue is free, 

 fleshy, and slightly notched. Of the snake -like forms of this 

 group, none is more familiarly known than the Blind-worm or 

 Slow-worm (Anguis fragiUs, fig. 200), which is found over 

 almost the whole of Europe, in western Asia, and northern 

 Africa, and which is one of the most abundant of the 

 British Reptiles. The Blind-worm possesses no external 

 appearance of limbs, though the scapular and pelvic arches 

 are present in a rudimentary condition. Its appearance is 

 completely serpentiform, and it is vulgarly regarded as a dan- 

 gerous and venomous animal, but quite erroneously, as it is 

 even unable to pierce the human skin. It is a perfectly harm- 

 less animal, living upon worms, insects, and snails, and hyber- 



Fig. 200. The Blind-worm (Angitisfragilis] after Bell. 



nating during the winter. It derives its specific name of 

 fragilis from the fact that when alarmed it stiffens its muscles 

 to such an extent that the tail can be readily broken off, as if 

 it were brittle. 



Numerous other small Lizards are referable to the Scinridce, 

 but it is only necessary to mention the Skinks themselves 

 (Scincus], in which both pairs of limbs are present in a well- 

 developed state. The Skinks are found in almost all the 

 warmer parts of the Old World, and closely-allied forms (such 

 as the West Indian " Galliwasp ") are found in the New World. 

 The common Skink (fig. 201) is a native of Arabia and Africa. 



