LACERTA. 199 



SuBFAM. COELOBONTES. 



The teeth are hollow, especially at their base and root, hence easily 

 detached from the jaws. All the genera of this group belong to the 

 Eastern World, Australasia included. 



^Y^.— Coehdontes, PuM. & BiBR. Erpet. gen. Y, 1839, 17 & 153. 

 Lacertinidae, Gray, Ann, Nat. Hist. I, 1838, 279; &, Catal. Lizz. Brit. Mus. 

 1845, 26. 



Obsery. — The " Autosaures coelodontes" are furthermore subdivided 

 into " Pristidactyles," which have carinated and serrated fingers ; and 

 into " Leiodactyles," whose fingers and toes are smooth. The species 

 recorded further on belongs to the latter subdivision. 



Genus LACERTA, Lixn. 



Gen. Char.— Tongue not sheathed at the base, moderately elongated, 

 bifid at the extremity, covered with imbricated, scale-like papillae. 

 Palate either toothless or provided with teeth. Premaxillary teeth 

 conical; maxillary teeth somewhat compressed and straight; the 

 anterior ones simple ; the following obtusely tricuspid. Lower eye- 

 lid opaque, covered with scales. Nostrils lateral, in the lower hinder 

 angle of a prenasal, with two small superposed postnasals. Tympa- 

 num situated below the surface of the auricular aperture. Temple 

 with polygonal, unequal, small plates. A narrow cross-fold under 

 the ear, and a necklace of scales. Dorsal scales ovate, granular, thick, 

 convex, not imbricated. Abdominal scutellae square ; the two central 

 series narrower. Preanal shield single, surrounded by smaller ones. 

 Femoral pores present. Anterior limbs provided with five slightly 

 compressed fingers. Tail conical or cyclotetragonal. 



Syn.— Lacgrto, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. YI, 1748.— Merr. Tent. Syst. Araph. 1820, 

 62.— Wagl. Naturl. Syst. Amph. 1830, 154.— Wiegm. Herp. Mex. I, 1834, 9.— Dual 

 & BiBR. Erpet. g6n. Y, 1839, 174.— Gray, Catal. Lizz. Brit. Mus. 1845, 30. 



Observ. — We think the genus Lacerta ought to be restricted within 

 narrower limits than those ascribed to it by Dumeril and Bibron, with- 



