38 



ZOOLOGICAL 



COLUBRID^l (Colubrine Snakes; 853 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map iii. 



This large family comprises about half the number of known Snakes, and 

 is distributed over practically the whole world except the extreme northern 

 and southern portions. Of all large countries inhabited by these Snakes, 

 Australia is the poorest in representatives, possessing only about half a 

 dozen species. The European species are about 18 in number, and two of 

 these are found in Britain, namely, the Ring Snake (Tropidonotus natrix) 

 and the Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca). The former is most plentiful 

 in the south of England, becoming scarcer in the north, and practically 

 absent from Scotland. The Smooth Snake is, in Britain, restricted to the 

 extreme south of England, occurring chiefly in Dorset, Hants and Surrey. 



All the Colubridse are harmless to man ; about 130 different genera have 

 been described. 



AOROCHORDID^: (Wart-Snakes; 7 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map iii. 



Wart-Snakes are chiefly aquatic creatures, inhabiting the rivers and 

 estuaries of South-eastern Asia, ranging from the east of India to New 

 Guinea and the Isthmus of Darien in Central America. Five genera are 

 distinguished, most of which contain only a single species. The best-known 

 Snake of this family is the Javan Wart-Snake (Acrochordus javanicus), a 

 native of the Malay Peninsula, Java, and New Guinea. It attains a length 

 of over 4 feet, spends most of its time in the water, and feeds on fishes and 

 frogs. The genus Nothopsis is remarkable, inasmuch as the single species it 

 contains lives far removed from its allies, namely in the Isthmus of Darien. 



XENOPELTIDJE (Xenopeltis ; 1 Species). Plate 19, Map iii. 



The single species of Snake constituting this family, and bearing the 

 name of Xenopeltis unicolor, forms a remarkable connecting link between 

 the Colubridse and the Boidse. Occurring in South-eastern Asia, it attains 

 a length of about 3 feet. It possesses fierce habits and feeds on small 

 mammals. 



BOIDJE (Boas ; 52 Species). Plate 19, Map iii. 



The Boidse in general have a wide distribution, but that of the genera 

 when considered separately is of some interest. Tropical America, including 

 the West Indies, possesses 32 species, Africa and Asia together 14, North 

 America 3, and Madagascar 3. Of the South American Boas those known 

 as Boa constrictor and Eunectes murinus are the most familiar. The latter 

 is the aquatic so-called "Anaconda," a huge creature growing to a length of 

 33 feet and preying upon birds and mammals. The North American 

 members of the family constitute the genera Lichannra and Charina ; those 

 in Madagascar are two species of Boa and one of Corallus, all three strangely 

 removed from their nearest relatives, which are tropical American. Two 

 peculiar genera, each with one species, are found on Round Island, near 

 Mauritius, while all the African and Asiatic species belong to the genus 

 Eryx and are sometimes called Sand-Snakes. A single species of Eryx 

 extends just into Europe, occurring in Greece and the Ionian Islands. 



PYTHONID-a; (Pythons; 22 Species). Plate 19, Map iv. 



With the exception of a single species, Loxocemus bicolor, which is a 

 native of Southern Mexico, all the Pythons are restricted to the Old World. 

 Australia possesses the greatest number (eight) of distinct species, and among 

 these may be mentioned the beautiful " Carpet " Snake (Python spilotes). 

 Four species occur in Africa, three of which belong to the typical genus 

 Python. Three occur in the Oriental region, while in New Ireland is a 

 peculiar Snake, known as Nardoa boa. 



UR0PELTID.E (Shield-Tails ; 42 Species). Plate 19, Map iv. 



The members of this family, which are restricted to Ceylon and the 

 mountains of Southern India, owe their popular name to the peculiar nature 

 of their tail. This is usually covered by a rough disc or shield which may 

 be either naked or covered with keeled scales. The species are distributed 

 among some seven genera, distinguished by technical characters. Shield- 

 Tails are burrowing creatures and feed entirely on earth-worms. 



ILYSIID^l (Cylinder-Snakes; 7 Species). Plate 19, Map. iv. 



The typical genus Ilysia contains a single species known as the Coral 

 Cylinder-Snake (/. scytale). It is confined to the Guianas and Upper 

 Amazon, and is the only New World representative of the family. All the 

 rest are natives of Ceylon and South-eastern Asia, and are, with one 

 exception, members of the genus Cylindrophis. 



GLAUC0NIID.tf; (Blind-Snakes ; 39 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map iv. 



With one exception, all the Snakes of this family belong to a single 

 genus (Glauconia). The majority of the species are found in the Ethiopian 

 region, some 20 species being known from Africa and Arabia. South 

 America and the West Indies together possess seven species ; North and 

 Central America only four. One species has recently been described from 

 Algeria, one occurs in Scinde, North-west India, while two have been found 

 in Persia since the Map was prepared. These curious little Snakes are lovers 

 of warmth, and have, like the Typhlopidse, subterranean habits. 



TYPHLOPID-E (Typical Blind-Snakes ; 137 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map iv. 



Only three genera of Typhlopidse are recognised. Of these ffelmintho- 

 phis, with eight species, and Typhlophis, with one, are confined to tropical 

 America. The remaining species are referred to the wide-ranging and 

 typical genus Typhlops. One species just enters Europe, occurring in 

 Greece and its neighbouring islands, including Cyprus and Rhodes. The 

 Typhlopidse are curious little worm-like Snakes, possessing subterranean 

 habits and feeding on millipedes and insects. 



ORDER LACERTILIA (Lizards ; 2560 Species). 



CHAM^ILEONTID^: (Chamseleons ; 98 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map v. 



These interesting little creatures are so peculiar in structure that most 

 authorities separate them from true Lizards and place them in a Sub-Order 

 to themselves. They are distinguished principally by having a laterally 

 compressed body, prehensile tail, and digits opposed so as to form an efficient 

 clasping organ. About 40 species are confined to Madagascar, two species 

 occur in the extreme south of the Palaearctic region, one is a native of India 

 and Ceylon, while all the rest are purely Ethiopian in distribution. Only 

 three genera are recognised, no fewer than 83 of the species belonging to the 

 typical one (Chamseleon). The most remarkable feature of these creatures is 

 their well-known power of changing the colour of the skin so as to assimilate 

 to that of their surroundings, and there is no doubt but that they depend 

 largely upon this method of escaping from their numerous enemies. 



PYGOPODID-ffi (Scale-footed Lizards; 16 Species). 

 Plate 19, Map v. 

 These curious Snake-like Lizards owe their popular name to the fact that 

 their limbs are entirely reduced to a pair of scaly flaps representing the 

 hinder ones, while the fore-limbs have disappeared altogether. Eight genera 

 are differentiated, but the family has a very restricted range, being confined 

 indeed to Australia, Tasmania, and part of New Guinea. 



AMPHISB^NID-Sl (Amphisbsenas ; 98 Species). Plate 19, 

 Map v. 

 These peculiar worm-like Lizards have a somewhat remarkable distribu- 

 tion, being found in the New World from Florida southwards to the Rio 

 de la Plata, while in the Old World their occurrence is in detached areas in 

 Africa, Europe, and Asia Minor. Eleven genera are distinguished, in only 

 one of which are any traces of limbs. The latter, bearing the name of 

 Chirotes, comprises a single species found in Mexico and California. Blanus 

 is the genus which represents the family in the Mediterranean region, and 

 its four species are found only in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, and 

 Asia Minor. The typical genus (Aniphisbsena), containing 41 species, is 

 found in tropical America and tropical Africa. All the members of the 

 family possess burrowing habits, and their principal food consists of insects 

 and worms. 



ANIELLID.E (Aniella ; 2 Species). Plate 19, Map v. 



This family, sometimes spelled Anniellidse, contains only two small 

 worm-like species, both of which are found in California to the south of 

 San Francisco. A third species is founded on a single specimen said to 

 have been taken at El Paso, in Texas. Owing to this fact, we have not 

 included it in our map, judging it better to await further evidence. The 

 better-known species, Aniella (or Anniella) pulchra and nigra appear to be 

 degraded forms of Anguidse or Slow- Worms, which they closely resemble 

 in appearance. 



DIBAMID^l (Dibanras ; 2 Species). Plate 19, Map v. 



The members of this family are burrowing, worm-like Lizards, occurring 

 in a few islands in the Malay Archipelago, and recorded also from the Malay 

 Peninsula. Only a single genus is described. 



ANELYTROPIDiE (Anelytropsis, &c. ; 10 Species). Plate 19, 



Map vi. 



The few species constituting this family have a peculiar distribution. 

 Four genera are described, the typical one (Anelytropsis) containing a 

 single species found in a restricted area in Southern Mexico. All the other 

 members of the family are Ethiopian, eight occurring in tropical and South 

 Africa, and one in Madagascar. These Lizards are limbless, worm-like 

 creatures, and may be regarded as degraded forms of Skinks (Scincidse). 



SCINCHLE (Skinks; 596 Species). Plate 19, Map vi. 



This vast assemblage is of world-wide distribution, being only absent 

 from the colder regions of the globe. Over 40 genera are recognised, the 

 largest being Lygosoma with 291 species, or roughly half the known forms. 

 The Old World species are much more numerous than those of the New 

 World, and they are particularly well represented in the Oriental and 

 Australian regions. Of the 37 species recorded from the New World, only 

 four, belonging to the genus Mabuia, are found in South America, while 

 seven occur in the West Indies, and one in the Bermudas. Perhaps the 

 most interesting member of the family is the very peculiar Stump-tailed 

 Lizard of Australia (Trachysaurus rugosus). This creature, which is about a 

 foot in length, has a very broad depressed head, and a remarkably broad 

 stumpy tail, while its body is covered with large, rough scales. Half a 

 dozen species occur in Southern Europe, namely one Ablepharus, one 

 Ophiomorus, and four belonging to the genus Ghalcides. The Ophiomorus 

 is a limbless, worm-like Lizard, found in Greece and Asia Minor. 



