LIZARDS. 
144 
with bone ; while they are further characterised by a fold covered with small 
scales running along the sides of the body and marking off the upper from the 
under-parts. The tongue is simple, with its anterior moiety not extensile, and its 
tip either rounded, or but slightly notched; while there are well-developed eyelids, 
and the drum of the ear is exposed. The back is either clothed with large shield¬ 
like, and mostly keeled scales, arranged in well-marked transverse zones, or, more 
rarely, with granules; the head having large, regular shields. As regards their 
teeth, these lizards conform to the pleurodont type, each tooth having its base 
widely open. Resembling in many respects the Iguanoids, from which they are 
distinguished by the ossifications in the skull, these lizards also approach the 
members of the next family, from which they differ by their simple tongues, the 
CAPE GIRDLE-TAILED LIZARD (liat. size.) 
hollow bases of the teeth, and the structure of the bony plates underlying the 
scales, when such are present. In the South African snake-like genus ( Chamce - 
saura), the fore-limbs are wanting, and the hind-pair rudimental, while the tail is 
of extraordinary length. All the members of the family appear to be carnivorous. 
Girdle-Tailed We take as our special example of this small family one of the 
Lizard. members of the South African girdle-tailed lizards ( Zonurus ), a 
genus represented by seven species. These lizards differ from the other three 
genera in having the scales of the back underlain by bony plates of simple 
structure; and, resembling in appearance the rough-tailed lizard among the 
agamoids, they have a flattened triangular head, and a tail of moderate 
length. On the upper surface the neck and back are covered with large quad¬ 
rangular shield-like scales, while beneath there are large flat shields; the limbs 
bearing keeled overlapping shields, and the tail being protected with whorls of 
