COLLECTION OF REPTILES. 47 



planters name it the land-pike. Out of the four 

 species in the collection, one is African, and has 

 five fingers to each foot ; the second, which was 

 brought from New Holland by Pcron, has only 

 four; the third species found in Italy is vivi- 

 parous, and has hut three ; and the fourth, which 

 is from the Cape, has only one finger to each foot. 

 The species belonging to the genus chalcides 

 present the same irregularity. 



The two-handed scinks, of which we know 

 but one single species from Mexico, want the 

 hind feet, whilst that with two feet wants the 

 fore ones. The only species we know of this 

 last genus are : the lepidopode, brought from the 

 Cape by Peron, with two scales at each foot : 

 a species discovered in the Brazils by M. Auguste 

 Saint-IIilaire ; and the sheltopusik of Pallas, from 

 the banks of the Volga, the feet of which are re- 

 duced to a very short scaly and scarce visible 

 appendage. This specimen was given by M. d'Ur- 

 ville ; it is the largest of the three species, and is 

 said to be sometimes six feet long. 



The mere inspection of these animals will 

 readily satisfy us, as to their forming the passage 

 from the saurians or lizards to the ophidians or 

 serpents, which come immediately after in the 

 general classification adopted by M. Cuvier. 



The two first genera of this order, those that. 



