COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



775 



Genus. SCINCUS. Scales thin, smooth. Rostral plate 

 keeled in front. Tail round, tapering, without spines. Body 

 spindle-shaped, and flat below. Toes five on each foot, flat, 

 and fringed on sides. North Africa. 



Genus. PLBSTIODON. Lower eyelid scaly. Limbs strong. 

 Body spindle-shaped, and tail tapering. Scales large. Palate 

 toothed. Africa, America, and Asia. 



Genus. MABOUYA. Lower eyelid transparent. Rest as in 

 Plestiodon. West Indies and Asia. 



Genus. ASGUIS. Body and tail cylindrical, and very long. 

 No external limbs. Head conical and blunt. Teeth' rather 

 long and sharp. Lower eyelid scaly and opaque. Europe, 

 Asia, and Africa. 



Genus. TRIBOLONOTUS. Scales thick and wrinkled, those of 

 back strong and spine-like. Body spindle-shaped. Head flat 

 and plated, armed with spines behind. Lower eyelid scaly. 

 Limbs four, and strong ; toes five on each foot. No pores on 

 thigh. Tail compressed, with five spiny keels above. New 

 Guinea. 



Genus. CELKSTUS. Body spindle-shaped, tail round, taper- 

 ing, not keeled above. Scales grooved. Head flattened. Five 

 toes on each foot, the claws small and sharp. West Indies. 



Genus. DIPLOGLOSSL-S. Body and tail cylindrical and elon- 

 gated. Rest as in preceding genus. Tropical America. 



Family. OPHIOMORID/E. Head shielded, rostral shield 

 triangular and erect. Palate without teeth. Tongue flat, scaly, 

 and with a shallow nick. Ears hidden under skin. Body and 

 tail long and cylindrical ; limbs none. Scaly, smooth, six- 

 sided. 



Genus. OPHIOMORUS. Only genus. Northern Africa. 



Family. SEPSID^. Rostral plate Square. Palate tooth- 

 less, and with a longitudinal groove. Limbs four or two, 

 weak. 



Genus. SpHyENOPs. Rostral plate long and notched. Head 

 wedge-shaped; lower eyelid transparent. Legs four. North- 

 ern Africa. 



Genus. SEPS. Rostral plate rounded. Head pyramidal. 

 Body long and cylindrical. Lower eyelid with transparent 

 disc. Limbs four ; toes three on each foot. Europe and 

 Northern Africa. 



Genus. GONGYLUS. Body somewhat spindle-shaped. 

 Limbs four ; toes five on each foot. Shores of Mediterranean. 



Family. ACONTIAD^E. Head small and shielded ; 

 upper eyelid very small. Tongue scaly. No pores on thigh. 

 Ears minute. 



Genus. ACONTIAS. Limbs none. Southern Africa. 



Family. TYPHLINID/E. Rostral shield large and cup- 

 shaped. Body and tail cylindrical. Eyes and ears hidden 

 under skin. 



Genus. TYPHLINE. Limbs none. Ventral shield large and 

 single. Southern Africa. 



convex at tip. 



Genus. TYPH LOPS. Rostral plate very large, turned down 

 in front. Tail short. Asia. 



Genus. ONVCHOPHIS. Rostral shield moderate ; oblong. 

 Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Philippines. 



Genuz. ARGYROPHIS. Head flat, rounded; central shield 

 oblong, arched and erect. Eyes distinct. Asia and Tropical 

 America. 



Sub-order. PACHYGLOSSiE. Tongue thick and convex, 

 slightly nicked at end. 



Tribe. NYCTISA URA .Scales of back and sides gra- 

 nular; of abdomen, small and overlapping. Eyes nocturnal, 

 lids circular. Body rather flat. Limbs strong. 



Family. GECKOTID^E. Only family. 



Genus. PTYODACTYLUS.. Toes slender, dilated at tips, 

 v.ith two diverging series of plates beneath, not webbed. 

 Body simple and tail round. Northern Africa. 



Genus. GECKO. Toes dilated throughout, with a series of 

 tra.isverse membranous plates beneath, last joint short, not 

 webbed. Back with tubercles. 



Genus. TifBCODACTYLUS. Toes dilated, last joint short, 

 bent under and hidden in notch ; two series of transverse 

 plates beneath, half webbed. Tail granular. Tropical Amer- 

 ica. 



Genus. PTYCHOZOON. Head, body, and tail fringed with 

 deeply-scooped membrane on each side. Toes webbed. Java. 



Genus. TARENTOLA. Toes dilated, with single series of 

 plates beneath two claws oa each foot. Rostral shield very 

 long. Europe, Africa, America, and West Indian Islands. 



Genus. SPH-ERODACTYLUS. Toes slender, with single 

 round disc at end. Claws none. Rest like Tarentola. 

 America. 



Genus. PHYLLURUS. Toes clawed, rather dilated at base' 

 long, slender, and joints bent at angle. Tail very flat, tapering, 

 and rounded at tip. New Holland. 



Tribe. STROBILOSA URA . All scales overlapping. 

 Eyes diurnal, lids valvular, pupils round. 



Family. IGUANID/E. Teeth round at root, but leaf-like 

 and toothed on edge, set on inner side of jaws ; young teeth 

 growing at base of others and pushing them forward. 



Genus. POLYCHRUS. Body compressed, and covered with 

 little squared scales arranged in rings. Pores on thigh. Toes 

 slender, not fringed. Back not crested. Throat compressed 

 and toothed in front. Eyes prominent. Brazil. 



Genus. IGUANA. Pores on thigh. Throat-pouch lar^e 

 and compressed; toothed in front. Scales of back moderate. 

 Tail compressed. Tropical America. 



Genus. ALOPONOTUS. Scales of back very minute. Throat- 

 pouch not toothed. Rest like Iguana. St. Domingo. 



Genus. METOPOCEROS. Throat-pouch small, with a cross 

 fold. Middle toes of hind ieet toothed. Head-shields liat, 

 a large horn-like tubercle on forehead, and two pair of large 

 plates between nostrils. Pores on thigh in two rows. St. 

 Domingo. 



Genus. OREOCEPHALUS. Head-shields conical and deeply 

 wrinkled. Outer toes of hind feet very long. Rest like pre- 

 ceding genus. Galapagos. 



Genus. BASILISCUS. Head long, with crest behind ; a pin- 

 like crest along the back and tail. No pores on thigh. Throat 

 with cross fold. Outer toes of hind feet webbed at base, not 

 fringed at sides. Tropical America. 



Genus. XIPHOSURUS. Throat-pouch large and dilatable. 

 No pores on thigh. Toes dilated under last joint but one. 

 Tail with bony crest. Central America (?). 



Genus. ANOLIUS. Back simple, or with little double crest of 

 small scales. Rostral shield erect, nose rounded. Rest like 

 Xiphosurus. North America. 



Genus. PHRYNOSOMA. Body flattened and covered with 

 small scales. Sides toothed. Head armed with spines. Tu- 

 bercular scales scattered over back and tail. California. 



Family. AGAMID-iE. Teeth on edge of jaws ; tongue 

 short, sometimes without a niche at the tip. Limbs strong, 

 thumb of hind feet on same line as the toes. 



Genus. DRACO. Body compressed, scales overlapping; 

 ribs greatly elongated, supporting expansion of skin. Three 

 pouches on throat. Ears not scaled ; nostrils below face-ridge. 

 Java. 



Genus. GONYOCEPHALUS. Ribs simple, back with crest. 

 Five toes on each foot. Tail with long-keeled scales beneaih ; 

 ears exposed. Java. 



Genus. CHLAMYDOSAURUS. Pores on thigh. Scales irreg- 

 ular and overlapping. Toes fringed ; throat with a fold ; 

 back crested. Neck with a large frill-like expansion on each 

 side. Australia. 



Genus. GRAMMATOPHORA. Back without crest, covered 

 with cross rows of large scales. Pores of thigh numerous. 

 Neck without frill. Australia. 



Genus. STELLIO. Body flattened, throat with a cross fold, 

 back covered with overlapping scales. Several rows of ventral 

 pores. Ears exposed. Tail covered with large spine-like scales 

 in regular rings. Northern Africa and Asia. 



Genus. AGAMA. Single row of ventral pores. Scales 

 keeled. Back not crested or toothed. Northern Africa. 



Genus MEGALOCHILUS. No ventral pores. Ears hidden. 

 Toes fringed on side. Edge of mouth fringed. Russia. 



Genus. UROMASTYX. No ventral pores, but some on the 

 thighs. Ears exposed. Tail broad and flat, covered with reg- 

 ular rings of spiny scales. Northern Africa and Russia. 



