CIDA PTE R 
LIZARDS 
HE Lizard Tribe or Sub-orderis notable as containing 
a greater number of specific forms than any other 
ofthe Reptilian groups, no less than 1,700 distinct 
species being described in the most recently published 
catalogues. While formerly regarded as constituting a 
separate and independent order of the Reptile Class, later 
investigations have demonstrated that lizards are so inti- 
mately related through sundry intermediate types with the 
Snakes that they cannot be recognised as constituting other 
than a sub-section of the same order. The two groups of 
the Lizards and Snakes are consequently, and with refer- 
ence more particularly to their commonly 
shared scaly armatures, technically distin- 
guished by the appellation of Scaled Reptiles. 
While the more typical members of the 
Lizard Tribe are readily distinguished from 
the Snakes by the possession of well- 
developed limbs, a no inconsiderable number 
of species are altogether devoid of these 
appendages, or possess them only in a 
partially developed or rudimentary condition. 
The British BLIND-WORM, or SLOW-WORM, 
constitutes an example of such a legless 
lizard, although on account of its outward 
snake-like appearance it is commonly 
regarded as a snake by the un- 
educated. In the South Euro- 
pean so-called GLASS-SNAKE, or 
SCHELTOPUSIK, here figured, the 
snake-like aspect and creeping 
habits are still more conspicuous, 
but yet when examined more crit- 
ically its lizard affinities become 
apparent. One ofthe most readily 
apprehended external characters 
that serve to distinguish this 
and the majority of the legless 
lizards from snakes is the posses- 
sion by the former of movable 
eyelids and conspicuous external 
ear-openings. Among © snakes 
eyelids are invariably absent, the 
Photo by W’, Saville-Kent, F.Z. 4 
GLASS-SNAKE 
165 
III 
Photo by H’, Saville-Kent, F.Z.S. 
GLASS-SNAKE, OR SCHELTOPUSIK 
The presence of movable eyelids distinguishes this legless lizard from 
ae 
Photo by E. C. Atkinson 
BLIND-WORM 
Notwithstanding its name, the blind-qworm pos- 
sesses small, very bright little eyes 
[Milford-on-Sea 
the true snakes 
Ha 8 
[Milford-on-Sea 
Snatls constitute the favourite food of the glass-snake 
