No. 39.— 1889.] 



ZOOLOGICAL TABLES. 



193 



Series B. — Ophisthoglypha. One or more of the 

 posterior maxillary teeth grooved. Suspected 

 as poisonous to a slight degree. 

 Sub-Family III. — Dipsadince. Nostrils lateral. 



Nos. 36 to 39. 

 Sub-Family IV. — Homalopsinw. Nostrils on 

 upper surface of head. Nos. 40 and 41. 



Series C. — Proteroglypha. Anterior or maxillary 

 teeth grooved or perforated ; poisonous. 

 Sub-family V. — Elapinw. Tail round, caudal ; 



hypapophyses short. Nos. 42 to 45. 

 Sub-Family VI. — Hydrophince. Tail compressed^ 

 caudal ; hypapophyses long. Nos. 46 to 56. 



b 1 The Amblycephalidce are not represented in Ceylon. 



c 1 Maxillary vertically erectile ; perpendicular to trans- 

 palatine ; pterygoids reaching quadrate or mandible. 

 Family Viperidce. Nos. 57 to 60. 



In Dr. Gunther's work the Ophidia are considered as an 

 order ; by Lankester, in the " Encyclopaedia Britannica," as 

 a sub-class with four orders (1888). In 1887 Dr. Boulenger 

 uses the term Squamata in the Zoological Eecorcl to include 

 the Lacertilia and Ophidia, without, however, stating the rank 

 of these divisions. I think that there can be little doubt 

 this is the natural statement of the facts. The lizards and 

 snakes are too closely allied to be looked upon as equivalents 

 of the turtles and the crocodiles. The student then will do 

 well to consider the snakes as a sub-order of the order 

 Squamata, equivalent to the old orders of the Lacertilia and 

 Ophidia. 



Sub-Order Ophidia. — In cases where the lizards are 

 limbless they can be distinguished from snakes by 

 their flat unsheathed tongue ; the true snake tongue is 

 found in the Ceylon monitor and iguana (Varanus 

 bengalensis and salvator), but these lizards have powerful 

 limbs. 



