92 THE STORY OF REPTILE LIFE. 



family in whom reduction of the limbs is a more 

 or less conspicuous feature. Within the limits of 

 two genera, as may be seen in the accompanying 

 illustration, examples may be found showing 

 every gradation in the reduction of the toes 

 from the full complement of five to their com- 

 plete disappearance, and with them of the limb 

 itself which is represented only by a tiny stump. 

 The " bronze lizards," which furnish four of the 

 five examples, are natives of the Mediterranean 

 countries and South- West Asia. All appear to 

 be more or less surface burrowers hiding under 

 stones or pieces of bark. Some resort to damp 

 places in search of food, but all seek dry and 

 sandy spots whereon they may expose themselves 

 to the full glare of the sun. One species of 

 skink, by the way, occurring at Tunis and 

 Algeria, and belonging to the genus Euprepes, 

 is remarkable in that it leads a semi-aquatic life ; 

 spending much of its time on the floating leaves 

 of the Water-lily (Nymphea alba), seeking safety 

 when alarmed by diving. Its normal element, 

 however, is the sand, and by night it retires 

 under stones. 



A considerable number of surface-burrowing 

 forms, other than Skinks, members of widely 

 different families, are known to science. In 

 some of these only the hind-limbs are repre- 

 sented, and these often only in the males. 

 They take the shape of fin-like flaps of skin, 

 which, in the case of the " scale-footed " lizards, 

 belonging to the family Pygopodidce, are found 

 on dissection to contain a degenerate five-toed 

 foot. Generally, the limb-girdles in these legless 



