650 EEPTILES — SCINCID^. 



Lacertidse has Xantusia vigilis in California ; CIialcidaB has Braohypus cuvieri in British 

 Colnmhia ; Angnidse, one species, Ophisaurus ventralis ; Zonnridse, two genera, Gerrhonotus 

 and Sarisaa, the former with six, the latter with a single species, olivacea, which range 

 from Texas to California. None of the preceding families ooonr in the State, but the 

 IgnanidsB and Scincidse are represented in onr limits. 



FAMILY SCINCIDiE. THE SKINKS. 



Body lacertiloid ; dorsal and ventral region covered with similar imbricated scales, 

 quiuouucially arranged ; head anbtriangular, tapering gradually into the neck ; back 

 rounded, without crest or spines ; tongue fleshy, squamous, flat, emarginate, and free 

 anteriorly ; cephalic plates present ; nostril opening into a solitary nasal ; prefrontal 

 single ; temporal fossa arched ; premaxillaries two ; mesosternum cruciform ; feet four, 

 well developed. 



* Supranasals none ; lower eyelid with a transparent disk. . . Ltgosoma. 



* Supranasals a pair ; lower eyelid scaly. ..... Eumbcbs. 



Genus EUMECES. Wiegmann. 



Head short, approximately cuneiform ; nasal plates one on each side, just behind the 

 rostral; a small pair of supranasals just above; superciliaries above each eye four; 

 occipitals five ; post-frontals two ; vertical pentagonal ; teeth in both jaws in a marginal 

 row ; anterior margin of ear dentate ; both eyelids scaly ; scales smooth and imbricated ; 

 toes five on each foot, distinct and provided with claws ; tail long, conical, and covered 

 ■with scales similar to the body. 



EuMECES QuiNQUELiNEATUs Linnagus. 



Blue-tailed Skink. 



Lacertafasdata, lAifNMva, Shaw, Lateeille. 



Lacerta quinquelineata, Linn^us, Gmblin, Green, Sat. 



Scincus tristatus, Daudin. 



Scincus quinquelineatue, Schnbidek, Latrbille, Daudin, Kuhl, Mkrrem, Harlak, 



SCHLEGEL. 



Scincus bieolor, Harlan, Cuvibr. 



Eupr^is tristatus, Wagler. 



Tiliqua iicolor, Gray. 



Soinous fasciaius, Holbrook, Storbr, DeKay. 



Plestiodon quinquelineatum, Dumbril and Bibron, Gunther. 



Color bluish-black above with five yellow lines, the vertebral one of which bifurcates 

 on the head, giving off a branch to the right, and another to the left side of the ver- 

 tical plate ; both branches extend to the nostrils where they unite with the nearest 

 lateral lines ; the lower lateral line passes from the snout through the auditory opening 

 just above the limbs to the tail ; all these lines become indistinct on the caudal ex- 

 tremity, and all disappear with age ; abdomen light-bluish ; extremities brownish 

 above, bluish or light polared beneath; throat and gular region creamy white; tail 

 deep blue ; toes long, 4Dteriorly the second and third of equal length, and posteriorly the 

 second the longest ; nostrils small and situated near the muzzle ; scales of the body and 

 limbs imbricated, and plates on the head well developed ; supranasals and post-frontals 



