368 Zoological Society : — 



Trogonophis Wiegmanni, Kaup, Isis, 1830, p. 8S0, t. 8(51 ; 

 Feruss. Bull. Sci. Nat. xxv. 203, 1831 ; Dutn. et Bibr. Erp. Gen. v. 

 470. 



Amphisbcena elegans, Gervais, Bull. Sci. Nat. de France, 18.55, 

 p. 135 ; Mag. Zool. 1835, class 3. t. 1 1 (details not good). 



Hab. Tangier (Fraser, B.M. 1848) ; North Africa (B.M. 1846) ; 

 Algeria {Dumeril, B.M.). 



This animal was first described by Dr. Kaup, who showed that 

 the teeth of it were placed on the edge of the jaw, as in the genera 

 of the family Agamidce, which are all confined to the eastern he- 

 misphere and Australia ; while all the other genera of the order 

 that have been examined have the teeth on the inner side of the jaw, 

 as in the family lyuanidce, which is restricted to the New "World. 



It was afterwards described by M. Gervais ; and even when Dr. 

 Kaup had informed him, after inspecting the specimen, that it was 

 the same as he had previously described, he still regarded it as new, 

 because he said the skull did not agree with Dr. Kaup's figure: 

 but this was a mistake. Dr. Kaup figured the skull of Trogonophis 

 and of an Amiphisbmna for the sake of showing the difference between 

 them ; and M. Gervais must have compared his animal with the 

 wrong figure. 



Fam. 2. CHiROxiDiE, Gray, Cat. Tortoises, &c., B. M. 74. 



Head depressed, rounded on the sides ; nostrils on sides ; teeth on 

 the inner side of the maxillae. Body cylindrical, covered with rings 

 of uniform oblong four-sided shields, and with two short weak front 

 limbs, provided with five subequal clavvless toes ; lateral line sunken, 

 covered with scales ; preanal pores distinct. Tail cylindrical. 



Chirotes, Dumeril; iJmawws, Oppel ; C/ia»?£C5a?«r«, Schneid. 



Characters those of the family. 



Chirotes caniculatus, Cuvier. 



Chirotes lumbricoides, Gray, Cat. Tortoises, &c., B. M. 74. 

 Hab. Tropical xlmerica, Mexico (B.M.). 



Profiessor J. Midler has figured the skeleton and skull of this 

 animal. 



Fam. 3. Amphisb^nid^. 



Head oblong, rounded below ; nostrils lateral, in nasal shields ; 

 teeth conical, on the inner edge of the maxillae. Body cylindrical, 

 covered with rings of uniform, elongate, four-sided shields, without 

 any sternal disk ; preanal pores distinct ; lateral line linear, sunken, 

 with a few small scales. Legs none. Tail cylindrical, rounded at 

 the end. 



Tribe 1. Amphisb^nina. The head depressed, rounded on the 

 sides in front ; nostrils on the upper part of the sides of the 

 head. 



