36 THE WHITE-THROATED REGENIA. 



other two families, namely the Trigonophidae and the Lepidosternidae, may easily be 

 distinguished by the fact that in the former the teeth are set in the margin of the jaws 

 instead of on their inner side as in the other families, and that in the latter, the scales 

 on the chest are larger and of different shapes, whereas in the other two families 

 they are all squared. Moreover the pores under the abdomen are absent. 



WE now leave the shielded reptiles and proceed to the Scaled Lizards. These creatures 

 form a very large and important group, and may be distinguished from the previous 

 section by the covering of the body, which is formed of scales either granular 

 or overlapping each other, instead of the straight-edged plates which cover the bodies 

 of the tortoise and crocodiles. The tongue of these animals is rather long, nicked at the 

 tip, and often capable of extension. The young are produced from eggs, sometimes 

 hatched before being deposited, but generally after they have been laid in some suitable 

 spot. The eggs are covered with a rather soft, leathery shell. 



The true LIZARDS have four limbs, generally visible, but in a few instances hidden 

 under the skin. Their body is long and rounded, and the tail is tapering and mostly 





WHITE-THROATED REGENIA.-/?t?g-en/a albogularis. 



covered with scales set in regular circles or "whorls." The mouth cannot be dilated as 

 in the snakes, because the under jawbones are firmly united in front instead of being 

 separable as in the serpents. The ear has a very singular appearance, the drum of 

 " tympanum " being mostly distinct and exposed. 



There are twenty-four families of true Lizards, and passing by several anatomical and 

 structural distinctions, which will be found at the end of the volume, we will proceed at 

 once to the first family, called the MONITORS. In all these creatures the head is 

 covered with very little, many-sided scales ; the tongue is long, slender, and capable of 

 being withdrawn into a sheath at its base ; the scales are small, rounded, and arranged 

 in cross rings, those of the side resembling those of the back ; the legs are four in 

 number, and each foot has five toes. They are all inhabitants of the Old World, and 

 are seldom if ever found far from water. 



OUR first example is the WHITE-THROATED REGENIA, or WHITE-THROATED VARAN, a 

 remarkably fine and powerful species of LIZARD, inhabiting Southern Africa. A rather 

 full and accurate description of this Lizard is given by Dr. Smith. 



