330 TEIIDR. 
Fam. 14, TEIIDAs. 
Lacertiens, part., Scincoidiens, part., Cuvier, Regne Anim. ii. 1817. 
Tupinambide, part., Chalcidide, part., Gray, Ann. Phil. (2) x. 18265. 
Cordyloidea, part., Tachydromoidea, part., Chalcidoidea, Ameivoidea, 
part., Fitzinger, Neue Classif. Rept. 1826. 
Teiide, Gray, Phil. Mag. (2) ii. 1827. 
Autarchoglossz acrodonta et pleurodonta, part., Wagler, Syst. Amph. 
1830. 
Ameiva, Lacert, part.. Chamesauri, part., Ptychopleuri, part., 
Gymnophthalmi, part., Wiegmann, Herp. Mex. 1834. : 
Lacertiens pléodontes, Chalcidiens, part., Scincoidiens, part., Duméril 
& Bibron, Erp. Gén. v. 1839. 
Teide, Chalcide, Anadiade, Chirocolide, Cercosauride, Gymnoph- 
thalmide, part., Gray, Cat. Liz, 1845. 
Argaliade, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. xviii.-1846, p. 67. 
Ecpleopoda, Tschudi, Arch. f. Nat. 1847. 
Riamide, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 445. 
Cercosauri, Peters, Abh. Berl, Ac. 1862. 
Teidee, Chalcidide, Ecpleopidee, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1864. 
Teidze, Chalcidide, Cope, Proc. Am. Assoc, Adv. Se. xix. 1871. 
Teiide, Boulenger, Ann. § Mag. N. H. (5) xiv. 1884. 
The tongue is flat, more or less elongate, ending in two long 
smooth points, the greater part of its surface covered with rhom- 
boidal, imbricate, scale-like papille ; in Alopoglossa, these scale-like 
papille are replaced by oblique plicw, as in Xantusidce and the 
Lacertoid genus Yachydromus. In a few genera the tongue is 
particularly long and narrow at the base, which is retractile into a 
sheath ; in the others the tongue is bicuspid posteriorly, the whole 
organ, when the distal points are close together, being arrow-headed. 
The teeth vary considerably, but are constantly to be distinguished 
from those of the analogous family Lacertide in not being hollow at 
the base, the new teeth developing in small sockets at the base of 
the old ones. In some of the higher forms (Tupinambis, Dracena, 
Teius), the lateral teeth are inserted almost on the parapet of the 
jaws, so that, in fact, they might be termed acrodont; this dentition 
is, like that of the ‘ pleurodont ” Amphisbeenoids, truly intermediate 
between the acrodont and the pleurodont. In the other forms the 
teeth are attached more distinctly to the inner side of the jaws and 
there is a basal shaft. The premaxillary teeth are constantly 
conical; the laterals may be conical, bicuspid, tricuspid, obtuse or 
molar-like (adult Tupinambis), or enormous oval crushers (Dracena) ; 
the bicuspid teeth may be either compressed longitudinally, or per- 
pendicularly to the jaws (Dicrodon, Teius). Pterygoid teeth are but 
seldom present, and if so, but feebly developed. 
In the most highly developed forms the skull presents the typical 
Lacertilian or Cionocranian structure; but, as we approach the 
Chalcidine forms, the skull becomes more depressed, the vacuity 
between the ante- and postorbital portions, and consequently the 
interorbital septum, become much reduced, the arches weaker, and, 
at last, we have in Ophiognomon a skull that approaches the Am- 
