358 ZOOLOGY SECT. 



powerful kinds prey also on Birds and Mammals of all kinds, which 

 they seize unawares when they come down to drink or attempt to 

 cross the stream. On land their movements are comparatively slow 

 and awkward, and they are correspondingly more timid and helpless. 



The Crocodilia,,as already mentioned, are all oviparous, and the 

 eggs, as large in some species as those of a Goose, are brought 

 forth in great numbers (sometimes 100 or more) and either buried 

 in the sand, or deposited in rough nests. 



Geographical Distribution. The order Lacertilia, the most 

 numerous of the orders of Reptiles living at the present day, is of 

 very wide distribution, occurring in all parts of the earth's surface 

 except the circumpolar regions ; but some of its larger sections are 

 of limited range. The Geckos are numerous in all warm countries, 

 their headquarters being Australia and the Oriental region. The 

 snake-like Pygopidae are entirely confined to the Australian 

 region. The Agamidae (a family which includes the Flying 

 Lizards besides many others) are most abundantly represented in 

 the Australian region, though extending to other regions of the 

 Old World, except New Zealand and Madagascar. Of the Iguanas 

 two genera occur in Madagascar and one in the Friendly Islands ; 

 all the other members of this group, which is a large one, are 

 confined to America. Three families occur exclusively in America 

 the Xenosauridae, the Tejidae, and the Helodermidae, or poisonous 

 Lizards. The Zonuridae or Girdle-tailed Lizards are confined to 

 Africa and Madagascar. The Anguidae or Blind- worm Lizards are 

 mostly American, but are represented in Europe and Asia. The 

 family of the Monitors is distributed in Africa, Southern Asia, 

 Oceania, and the Australian region. The Snake-like Amphis- 

 baenians are most numerous in America, but are well represented 

 in Africa, and occur also in the Mediterranean area. The Lacer- 

 tidae are most abundant in Africa, but occur in Europe and Asia. 

 The family of the Skinks (Scincidae) is of world-wide range, but is 

 most abundant in Australia, Oceania, the Oriental region and 

 Africa. Sphenodon is confined to the New Zealand region, and at 

 the present day only occurs on certain small islands off the N.E. 

 coast and in Cook's Straits. The Chamaeleons are most abundant 

 in Africa and Madagascar, but there are representatives in various 

 other parts of the Old World ; they do not occur in the Australian, 

 New Zealand, or Polynesian regions, and are only represented in 

 Europe by one species which occurs in Andalusia. 



Chelonia are widely distributed over the surface of the earth, by 

 far the greater number being natives of tropical and temperate 

 zones. The Sea-turtles, including the Hawk's-bills and the Luths, 

 are for the most part, but not entirely, confined to the tropical 

 seas. Giant Land-tortoises occur, or occurred in historic times, on 

 islands of the Galapagos and Mascarene groups. 



Of the Crocodilia the Caimans are confined to Central and South 



