Scaptira. 347 



1. 2, 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 



Habitat. — Eoiimania (Dobrudja), Southern Russia, Crimea, Trans- 

 caucasia, Central Asia from the Caspian Sea and the Ural Elver to 

 Bokhara, Chinese Turkestan, and Semipalatiusk. 



19. SCAPTIRA. 



Scapteira (Fitzing.), Wiegm. Herp. Mex. p. 9 (1834) ; Diim. & 

 Bibr. Erp. Gen. v, p. 281 (1839) ; Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 39 (1845) ; 

 Lataste, Ann. Mus. Genova (2) ii, 1885, p. 12G ; Bouleng. Cat. Liz. 

 iii, p. 107 (1887), and Journ. Zool. Ees. iii, 1918, p. 2. 



Meroles, part., Gray, Ann. N.H. i, 1838, p. 282. 



Eremias, part., Dum. & Bibr. t.c. p. 286 ; Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 39. 



Podarces, part., Strauch, Mc'l. Biol. Ac. St. Petersb. vi, 1867, p. 408. 



Saurites, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1869, p. 60 ; Lataste, I.e. 



Head-shields normal, but occipital often rudimentai\y 

 or absent. Nostril pierced between three na,sa]s, widely 

 separated from the first upper labial. Lower eyelid 

 scaly. Collar distinct. Dorsal scales small and juxta- 

 posed or subimbricate ; ventral plates not or but feebly 

 imbricate, with straight posterior border, smooth. Digits 

 subcylindrical, compressed, or depressed, with smooth or 

 keeled lamellar scales inferiorlj-, denticulated laterally. 

 Femoral pores. Tail long, cylindrical or feebly com- 

 pressed posteriorly. 



Central Asia ; South Africa. 



The parietal foramen is constantly present, and pterygoid teeth are 

 usually absent. 

 This genus is completely connected with Eremias and may be 



