774 



COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



Genus. AMPHISBVENA. Head flattened, muzzle round, ' 

 rostral shield triangular and erect. Two shields of nose large, ! 

 square, and extending across muzzle. Brazil and West Indies, j 



Family. CHEIROTID/E. Teeth conical, curved back- 

 wards, and separate. Limbs two in front and weak, with five 

 nearly equal toes. Pores before vent distinct. 



Section. SQUAMATA, OR SCALED REPTILES.- ' 



Body covered with overlapping scales. Skull formed of separ- 

 ate bones ; bone of ear external and jointed to skull. Tongue | 

 free, long, and nicked at the tip. 



Onfcr. SAURA, OR LIZARDS. Mouth not dilatable, i 

 jaws toothed, bones of lower jaw united in front. Limbs four, [ 

 and mostly distinct ; toes clawed. Body long and rounded. 

 Ribs distinct, and movable. Tail long and tapering. Eggs ! 

 covered with a hard skin. 



Sub-order. LEPTOGLOSSyE. Tongue flat, long, and 

 forked at tip. 



Tribe. CYCLOSA URA .Scales of back and tail rounded, 

 or granular ; those of abdomen squared and set in cross bands. 

 Eyes with two valvular lids. Feet strong, toes compressed. 



Family. MONITORID/E. Head with little, flat, many- 

 sided shields. Tongue sheathed at base. 



Genus. REGENIA. Tail compressed, with keel of double 

 row of scales. Nostrils large, oblique, and near the eyes. 

 Toes short. Africa. 



Genus. MONITOR. Tail as above. Nostrils round, nearly 

 half way between eyes and muzzle. Africa, Asia, and Austra- 

 lia 



Family. TEID.E. Head with large, regular, many-sided 

 shields; teeth solid ; tongue flat and long, mostly free. Scales 

 of back granular or keeled, and rhombic in shape. Sides flat. 

 Throat scaly, with double collar. All the Teidae inhabit the 

 Western world. 



Genus. TERIUS. Throat with large hexagonal scales be- 

 tween folds of throat. Ventral shields small, long, and smooth. 

 Five toes on each foot. Pores of thigh distinct. Brazils. 



Genus. AMEIVA. Teeth with three lobes, and compressed. 

 Ventral shield broad and smooth. Tongue sheathed at base. 

 Brazils and West Indies. 



Genii!:. CNEMIDOPHORUS. Tongue not sheathed at base. 

 Teeth compressed longitudinally. Toes five on each foot. 



Genus. CENTROPYX. Throat with collar of large shields. 

 Tail round. Scales of back large, those of sides granular. 

 America. 



Genus. ADA. Collar and ventral shields smooth and long. 

 Tail compressed. Scales of back unequal ; throat with two 

 folds. 



Family. LACERTINID/E. Head pyramidal, with regu- 

 lar many-sided shields. Throat scaly. Tongue long, flat, and 

 deeply forked. Teeth hollow. Scales of body keeled and 

 rhombic, those of sides small and granular. Sides flattened. 



Genus. ZOOTODA. Nostrils erect in nasal shield. Toes 

 simple and compressed. Collar distinct. Lower eyelid scaly 

 and opaque. Europe, Africa and Australia. 



Genus. LACF.RTA. Lower eyelid opaque. Chin fold dis- 

 tinct. Shields of abdomen narrow behind. Europe, Africa, 

 Asia. 



Genus. ACANTHODACTYLUS. Toes keeled beneath, and 

 fringed on the sides. Palate without teeth. Africa. 



Genus. ERBMIAS. Nostril horizontal, between three scales. 

 Eyelid distinct. Toes compressed, keeled beneath, not 

 toothed on edge. Many ventral shields, in several series. 

 Africa. 



Genus. OPHIOPS. Eyelid rudimentary, eye circular and 

 exposed. Palate not toothed. Pores on thighs distinct. 

 Shores of the Mediterranean. 



Family. ZONURID./E. Head pyramidal or flattened, 



with regular many-sided shields. Tongue flat and nicked at 



tip. Scales of back and tail large and rhombic. A fold along 

 the sides. Eyes with two lids. 



Genus. ZONURUS. Head flat. Scales of back and sides 

 square and keeled. Lower eyelid opaque. Tail spined. 

 Pores of thigh distinct and numerous. Africa. 



Genus. PSEUDOCORDVLUS. Head flat. Scales of back 

 nearly oval, surrounded with granules. Tail spined. Africa. 



Genus. GKRRHOSAURUS. Head pyramidal and squared. 

 Tongue scaly. Five toes on each foot. Body spindle-haped. 

 Tail not spined. Africa. 



Genus, SAUROPHIS. Toes four on each foot, and very 

 short. Body and tail very long. Tail not spined. Africa; 

 perhaps Australia. 



Genus. TACHYDROMUS. Head pyramidal and long. Collar 

 of keeled scales. Ventral scales keeled. Tail not spined. 

 Asia. 



Genus. PSEUDOPUS. Fore pair of limbs wanting, hinder 

 pair very small and undivided. Body snake-like. No pores 

 on thigh. Africa, parts of Europe, and Asia. 



Genus. OPHISAURUS. Limbs wholly wanting. Two deep 

 grooves along body. Palate toothed. North America. 



Family. CHALCIDvE. Head with regular many-sided 

 shields. Tongue scaly, palate without teeth. Limbs four, 

 but very small and feeble. No pores on thigh. Body long 

 and cylindrical. 



Genus. CHALCIS. Hinder feet not divided. Scales square. 

 America. 



Family. ANADIADjE. Lower eyelid transparent. Scales 

 of back and sides six-sided, not overlapping ; those of abdo- 

 men four-sided, and arranged in longitudinal series. Sides 

 rounded. Limbs four, five toes on each foot ; numerous pores 

 on thigh. 



Genus. ANADIAS. Same characteristics. America. 



Family. CHEIROCOLIDjE. Lower eyelid transparent. 

 Tongue scaly. Collar double. Ears under skin. Body and 

 tail long and nearly cylindrical. Scales of back, sides, and tail 

 long, sharp, overlapping, and keeled, arranged in alternating 

 rings. Legs four, and short ; pores numerous ; toes five on 

 each foot, hinder toes very long. 



Genus. HETERODACTYLUS. Same characteristics. Amer- 

 ica. 



Family. CERCOSAURID^E. Upper eyelids very short. 

 Ears distinct. Sides rounded with scales like those of back. 

 Large keeled scales in series along back and upper part of 

 tail. Under parts with flat squared scales. Limbs four, toes 

 five on each foot, tail round. 



Genus. CERCOSAURA. Body long ; scales of back oblong, 

 with blunt keels. No pores on thighs. America. 



Family. CHAM^ESAURID^E. Palate without teeth. 

 Lower eyelid scaly. Body and tail long, and covered with 

 regular rings of keeled scales. Limbs rudimentary. Ears 

 distinct and small. Sides without groove, and scaled like 

 back. 



Genus. CHAM^SAURA. Feet undivided, like fins. Back 

 with six series of broad scales. Africa. 



Tribe. DEISSOSA URA .Scales of belly rounded, over- 

 lapping, and covered with thin epidermis. Sides rounded, 

 scaled like the back. Tongue short, flat, narrow, slightly 

 nicked at the e^d. Head with regular many-sided shields, 

 neck nearly as wide as head. 



Family. GVMNOPHTHALMID.B. Eyelids rudiment- 

 ary. Teeth of jaws conical, none on palate. Limbs four, 

 weak. No pores on thigh. 



Genus. CRYTOBLEPHARUS. Head conical, scales smooth. 

 Five toes on each foot. Ears exposed. Australia. 



Family. PYGOPIDjE. Pupil of eye round or oblong. 

 Shields of abdomen six-sided, in two or three series. A cen- 

 tral series of larger shields on the tail. Fore-limbs wanting, 

 hinder pair very feeble . 



Genus. PYGOPUS. Scales of back keeled. Pores before 

 vent numerous. Hinder limbs rather long. Pupil of eye cir- 

 cular. Australia. 



Genus. DELMA. Scales smooth. No pores before vent. 

 Pupil oval and erect. Hind limbs short. Australia. 



Family. APRASIAD^E. Nostrils between two shields. 

 Limbs wanting. Scales above and below nearly similar. 

 Pores none. 



Genus. APRASIAS. Same characteristics. Australia. 



Family. LIALISIDyE. Head-shields slightly overlap- 

 ping ; cheeks scaly. Nostrils in little scale on ridge of face. 

 Fore limbs wanting; hinder undivided, short, flat, and scaly. 

 Tail long. Series of pores before vent. 



Genus. LIALIS. Same characteristics. Australia. 



Family. SCINCID^E. Head conical. Eyelids distinct, 

 and capable of closing over eye. Nostrils in a shield on nose. 

 Limbs four, sometimes hidden under skin. No pores on 

 i thigh. 



