CHAPTEK XI 



tails, heads, jaws, teeth, and tongues in 

 eeptiles 



Tails 



In the reptiles the tail seems quite important, for 

 no reptile, except the AmphisbomioB, is without one ; 

 and even in this family feome even show stumps. 

 These creatures run backward, and a tail would be 

 in the way here. In some sea-turtles it is very 

 short, as it is in some of the dry -land kinds. These 

 latter, when they close their shells, take great pains 

 to get the tail well boxed in. 



In some extinct lizard-forms, known generally as 

 Dvnosa/wrs, the tail acted as a fifth limb or prop as 

 they walked, stood, or sat erect on the two hind legs 

 only ; and these taUs must have been terrible weapons, 

 as that of the crocodilian is yet. 



Our smaller lizards retain the tail for various 

 uses, and doubtless for ornament also. Some of the 

 large monitors can strike serious blows with it. In 

 others, as the chameleon, flying lizard, and some tree- 

 lizards, it is prehensile and can be curled around a 

 limb to aid them in clinging and climbing. Doubt- 

 less the tail in lizards, as in the salamanders, is a 



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