Distribution of the LacertHia. 79 



Asia north of the Himalayas. Absent from Mada- 

 gascar and New Zealand. 

 Iguanidce. America. Two genera in Madagascar, and 



another in the Fiji Islands. 

 Anguidoi. The bulk of this family occupies Central 

 America and the West Indies, spreading to North 

 and South America. One genus (Anguis) in Europe 

 and the Mediterranean district, another {Pseudopus) 

 represented by one species in the Mediterranean dis- 

 trict and one in the Khasia Hills. 

 Varanidce. Africa (excl. Madagascar), Oriental Region 



to Asia Minor, Australia. 

 Teiidce. America. 



Amphishcenidce. Tropical and subtropical America, 

 Africa (excl. Madagascar), and the Mediterranean 

 district. 

 Lacertidce. Africa (excl. Madagascar), Europe, Asia, 



few in the East Indies. 

 Chamoileontidce. Africa, most abundant in Madagascar, 

 one species, identical with a North African, extending 

 to India and Ceylon. 

 Passing now to an examination of the relationships be- 

 tween the various parts of the globe as to their Lizard-faunas 

 we must first establish the two great primary divisions which 

 have been alluded to above, and which, in accordance with 

 Mr. Sclater's nomenclature*, I will terra the Neogean and 

 Palceogean Realms. The former is characterized by the pre- 

 sence of the Tguanidaj, Teiidse, and abundance of AnguidjB ; 

 the latter by Agamidse, Varanidge, Lacertid^, and Chamse- 

 leontidee. This division is the more natural, as we find in 

 both realms, within their respective families, a repetition of 

 the same forms having adapted themselves to similar condi- 

 tions. Few more striking examples of parallel series of forms 

 can be found than the families Agamid^ and Iguanidas, oi 

 the Lacertidas and Teiidse. Such parallel series occur in 

 almost every division of the animal kingdom: among the 

 Batrachia we have the Arcifera and the Firmisternia ; among 

 the Chelonia the Cryptodira and the Pleurodira ; and there 

 can be no doubt that the indications furnished by the range 

 of such analogous large groups are of the greatest importance 

 in tracing the relationships of the faunas of the various parts 

 of the world. 



The Neogean Realm may, in this summary review, be 

 described in few words. Its fauna is very uniform as 



* Journ. Liuu. Soc. ii, 1857, p. 130. 



