THE SKINK8. 



295 



They are not venomous, and some live above and others much under ground, preying on worms and 

 insects. Some of them are to be found in every part of the tropics, and in. some parts of the temperate 

 zones, but certain genera are restricted to particular regions. They are called Scincoids. Those 

 Scincoids which resemble Lizards more than Snakes have fore and hind limbs ending in hands and 

 feet furnished with five digits, which are clawed. The serpentiform kinds have no limbs visible ; 

 and between them and those just alluded to are kinds with only the rudiments of the hinder limbs. 

 Some of these have no toes, and others have two toes on the ill-developed feet ; and there are a 

 few with fore and hind limbs, but without their exti-emities. A smooth, scaly outside hides, 

 even in the kinds where no limbs exist, imperfect and rudimentary shoulder and pelvic girdles of 

 bone or cartilage. When limbs are present these bones are well developed, for instance, in the 

 Lizard-like kinds. Some have very sharp eyes, and one or more well-grown eyelids ; others have 

 the eyes very small and covered and hidden by skin; and a few have very small or no eyelids. Those 

 with well-developed and movable eyelids have the opening of the tympanum visible, but in the 

 others it is covered up. Whether the body is furnished with limbs, or is worm- or snake-like, there 

 are always large scales or plates on the fore-part of the head, arranged symmetrically ; and the body 

 and limbs are covered with scales, which may overlap or not. They all have a short, thick, very 

 slightly extensible tongue, which is flat, and more or less notched in front where it is thinnest. It is 

 often scaly, or covered with scale-like elevations, and has no sheath. 



As a sub-order of the Lacertilia, these creatures may be divided into two families. One * contains 

 those whose general description has just been given ; and the other includes the kinds which have 

 an extensible fold of skin on each side of the body, furnished with small scales, and which reaches 

 from the ear to the vent, and divides the back from the abdomen. They have large plates on the top 

 of the head, and there are large scales on the back arranged in whorls, and there are eyelids 

 and a visible tympanic membrane, as a rule. Lizard-like and serpentiform kinds are found in both 

 families. 



The first division comprehends the Skinks, and this family contains the genus Scincus, and 

 many others. The species are very numerous, and inhabit almost every part of the tropical 

 regions, some extending into the temperate zones. They are thoroughly land Lizards, preferring 

 dry ground, and hiding themselves in the sand and under stones. None of them enter the water. 

 They do not attain to any considerable size, a few West Indian and Australian species growing 

 to the thickness of a man's wrist, and being a foot long. They deposit from eight to twelve 

 globular eggs. 



THE COMMON SKINK.f 

 This is a Lizard-like kind with short limbs and long body, and a conical and pointed short tail. 



COMMON SKINS. 



The head is small for the stout neck, and i/j wedge-shaped ; the muzzle is flat, and the upper jaw is 



long, and the eye has a lower lid which is not scaly. On looking at the extremities, the four feet 



* Scincoidce. f Scincus officinalis. 



