THE ANGUINE LIZAED. 



53 



of the abdomen are squared and arranged longitudinally in six rows. There are four short 

 legs, with five toes on each foot, the thumb of the fore limbs being only rudimentary. The 

 colour of the Chirocole is brown, with a pale streak on each side. 



THE fourth family is the CERCOSAURIDJS, containing two genera. These animals have 

 the ears distinct, the throat with a double series of shields, and the collar distinct. On the 

 back and upper part of the tail the scales are large, boldly keeled, and arranged into a 

 regular longitudinal series. The scales of the under portions are squared and flat. There 

 are four limbs, each with five unequal toes. A good type of this family is afforded by the 

 EYED CERCOSAURUS (Cercosaura ocellatd). The body of this creature is long and rather 

 cylindrical. Its colour is black with four white streaks, the head and the under parts are 

 yellowish, and the sides are sprinkled with green, and variegated with eight or nine white 

 spots edged with black. 



ANGUINE LIZARD. Chamrsaura j.n<jmna 



OUR last example of the Cyclosaurian reptiles is the ANGUINE LIZARD, or CHAALESAURA, 

 the only representative of its family. 



The Anguine Lizard is a native of Southern Africa, and is obtained from the Cape of 

 Good Hope ; of its habits there is but little known. It is a curious-looking creature, 

 exceedingly snake-like in general appearance, its four limbs being of the most rudimentary 

 character, small, delicate, feeble, not even separated into toes at the extremity, but ending 

 in a single claw as if the whole limb were only composed of one small joint. These 

 imperfect limbs are wholly useless for progression, those of the anterior extremity being 

 hardly larger than the long narrow scales with which the body is covered, and the hinder 

 pair exhibiting but very little more development. 



So perfectly serpentine is the form of this creature that the mark of separation between 

 the tail and body is so slightly defined that the precise line of junction is almost invisible, 

 whereas in the common blindworm, itself a most snake-like reptile, the line of demarcation 

 is plainly shown by a decided diminution in the diameter. The tail is very long and 

 slender, measuring more than twice the length of the body. 



The head of the Anguine Lizard is covered with regular many-sided shields, and the 

 temples and the whole of the body and tail are clothed with scales, their edges projecting 

 boldly, and arranged in a series of regular rings or "whorls." Along the back there are 

 six rows of broad scales, and on the sides and abdomen the scales are long, narrow, and 

 with a decided keel running along their central line. There is no groove along the sides, 



