THE SCINCOIDES OR SERPENT LIZARDS. 157 



furnished with a casque or crest, like that of the chame- 

 leons. In some, the shape of the body is fusiform ; but in 

 otliers it is more or less elongated ; while several put on 

 nearly the cylindrical form of serpents, closely resembling^ 

 in general aspect, the Anguidce, or slow- worms. The toes 

 of the feet are unconnected, except at their very base, and 

 are all provided with claws : the muzzle in some, as in 

 the common skink (^S. officinalis), is sharpened and 

 raised ; but in others (as S. rufescens) it is obtuse or 

 blunt. The sub-genus Tiliqua Gray, differs from the 

 former by having no teeth in the palate. 



(160.) The Seps diSer from the skinks, properly so 

 caUed, by having a more serpent-like body, perfectly similar 

 to that of the blind- worm : the feet, also, are still smaller : 

 another advance is made towards the serpents by the 

 lungs being somewhat unequal : the feet have five toes, 

 the hinder of which are unequal ; but in the sub-genus 

 Lygosoma these members are much shorter, and of 

 nearly the same length. In Tetradactylus, one of these 

 toes disappear, leaving but four ; and these, again, are re- 

 duced to three in the Tridactylus decresiensis : the same 

 number of toes are seen in the sub-genus Zygnis, but 

 then they are remarkably small, and the feet are very 

 short. Finally, in the Monodactylus anguina, the toes 

 altogether disappear ; and this reptile has no other vestige 

 of feet, than what M. Cuvier terms small stilets, which 

 are not divided at their extremity. This curious reptile 

 inhabits Southern Africa. 



(161.) The Bipes seem to form a third division 

 of the family : we tiow enter upon reptiles so similar 

 to snakes, that, as M. Cuvier observes, there seems 

 but one step from them to the slow-worms. In fact, 

 this genus, with all the habit or general aspect of a 

 Seps, nevertheless is entirely destitute of fore feet, the 

 indications of which, however, may be detected by 

 the omoplates and clavicles which are concealed under 

 the skin : the hind feet still remain visible, but they are 

 so small as to appear almost useless. In the sub-genus 

 Pygopus there is a range of pores in front of the vent. 



