NATURAL HISTORY. 
10 *2 
[n. zool. gal. 
legs, and none behind; and the Blindworms ( Angues) have only rudi¬ 
ments of legs quite concealed beneath the skin. 
The family of Gymnophthalmid^e (Case 5) chiefly differ from the 
former in their eyes being always exposed, and destitute of any lid, 
like the serpents, as Microlepis , Ablepharis, which have four legs with 
divided toes; the Cuminia with four rudimentary tapering legs, un¬ 
divided at the end; and Lerista , which have only two hinder limbs. 
The family of Rhodonid^ (Case 5) differ from the Seines in having 
a large, depressed, sharp edged rostral plate with the nostrils in its 
upper part. Their eyelids are rudimentary, as Rhodona and Sori- 
dia. 
The family Aprasiad^e (Case 5) differs from the other families in 
the shields of the head, and in the nostrils being placed in the suture 
between the top of the front upper labial and the anterior frontal plates ; 
they have no ears. The Aprasia has no limbs, -while the Brachymeles , 
which also appears to belong to this family, has four rudimentary legs, 
each divided into two toes. 
The family of Pygopid^: (Case 5) have only two rudimentary com¬ 
pressed undivided limbs on the side of the vent. The nostrils are in the 
suture between the outer angle of the nasal and the front loreal shield, 
the ears are distinct, and the belly has two or four series of broad six-sided 
ventral shields, and the tail three series of broad shields, the central 
ones broader than the rest. The Pygopi have keeled dorsal scales, a 
series of preanal pores, and a round pupil. The Delmce have small 
scales, an elliptical erect pupil, no preanal pores, and shorter limbs. 
The family of Lialisidpe ( Case 5) are like Pygopidce in appearance, 
and have similar, but more rudimentary limbs on the side of the vent ; 
but the head is covered with small scales. All the specimens of the 
four latter families are confined to Australia. 
In the family of Acontiad^e ( Case 5) the face and chin are each 
inclosed in a large cap-shaped shield; the upper one is pierced with 
the nostrils, which have a groove to its hinder edge. Their bodies are 
nearly cylindrical, with blunt ends, and the limbs are hidden/under the 
skin. 
The remainder of the Saurian Reptiles have a short contractile 
tongue, slightly notched at the end. 
The family of Geckos ( GECKOTiDiE, Case 6) are Night Lizards, having 
a dull, lurid appearance, with de pressed heads, and large round eyes. 
Their body is usually covered with small scales, amongst which are fre¬ 
quently larger tubercles; and the under side of their toes is generally 
furnished with variously shaped overlapping scales, or folds of the 
skin, which enable the animal to crawl up glass, and even to run with 
facility, back downwards, on the ceiling of a room, like a fly. They 
are found in all parts of the world, and are divided into many genera, 
according to the form of their toes. 
The true Geckos have only a single cross series of scales, on the 
under side of each toe. Eublepharis differs from the former, by the 
toes being more slender, and less dilated. Pteropleura . has the skin 
on the side of the chin, body, limbs and tail expanded into a kind of 
fin, which the animal uses as a parachute to assist itself in jumping from 
tree to tree, like the dragons. Many of the species of these Lizards, 
from their lurid appearance, are considered as poisonous by the natives 
