LACERTID^E. 1 01 



Together with the Ophisaurus, or American Glass Snake, they are the 

 only known Zonuridcz that inhabit the New World. The great mass 

 of this family and all of its most characteristic species are African, 

 and these are arranged by Dr. Gray under the sub-families Cirignince 

 and Zonurince. In the first of these sub- families the tail is smooth or 

 unarmed, and in the second it is spinous; The Cordules, Cordylus, 

 Zonurus, &c., are very characteristic Lizards, chiefly of southern Africa, 

 several species of which have been figured by Sir Andrew Smith. 

 They are mostly of shortish form, and the neck is more or less spinous ; 

 the body-scales in some (as Zo7inrus cataphractus) being extraordinarily 

 rugous. These lizards squeeze themselves into crevices in the rocks, 

 in which they hold on so firmly by their nuchal spines that it is next 

 to impossible to dislodge them, the tail commonly giving way if it be 

 attempted to pull them forth by means of it. 



The family of Lacertidce, comprising our ordinary European Lizards, 

 have no longitudinal fold along the sides, but generally one across 

 the throat ; the tail is very long, rounded, with its scales arranged in 

 rings ; the head is covered with shields, which are symmetrically 

 arranged ; scales on the back granular or rhombic, on the sides 

 granular, on the belly largely quadrangular or rounded, and arranged 

 in cross bands ; eyes diurnal, with eyelids ; the tympanum distinct ; 

 limbs always four, and well developed ; it is also fragile. This group 

 of Lizards has no representative in America or (so far as* known) in 

 Australia. 



The sub-family of Tachydromince is included by Dr. Gray in the 

 family Zonuridce. These are Asiatic Lizards, with a most inordinate 

 length of tail, the fore and hind limbs being not placed distantly 

 apart, as in the various anguiform Lizards already treated of ; there is 

 an indistinct collar, and the toes are not serrated or keeled. Two 

 genera have been distinguished, Tachydromus and Tachysaurus, the 

 latter founded on a Japanese Lizard, T. japofiicus. At least three 

 species are known of Tachydromus, two of which inhabit China, 

 T. septentrionalis and T. meridionalis ; the third belonging to the 

 Indo-Chinese countries, T. sex-lineatus. In an example of the last, 

 measuring fourteen inches long, the tail occupies eleven inches and a 

 half. It is the longest-tailed creature, in proportion to its other parts, 

 that we have any knowledge of; indeed, something quite wonderful 

 to behold and muse over. 



The rest of the Lacertidce are chiefly from Africa and the south of 

 Europe ; there are probably more of them to be discovered in central 

 Asia, and only three or four species are known to inhabit the Indian 

 region. Fifteen or more genera are recognised. In temperate Europe 



