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Show 46 REPTILIA. brow prolonged and turned up, on each side of the end of the muz. zle, into an almost vertical lobe. The granules are equal, and there is no emargination either above or beneath.( 1) Finally, the Ch. bifurcus, Brongn.; Cameteon des Moluques a nez fourchu; Daud. IV, liv, has a semicircular flat hood; two large compressed, salient prominences in front of the muzzle, which varies in length; probably a sexual difference. The granules are equal, the body is sprinkled with closely set blue spots, and at the bottom of each flank is a double series of white ones. FAMILY VI. SCINCOIDEA. Known by their short feet, non-extensible tongue, and the equal scales which cover the body and tail, like tiles. SmNcus, Daud. Four short feet; the body and tail almost one continued and uniform piece; no enlargement of the occiput; without crest or dewlap, and covered with uniform, shining scales, arranged like tiles, or those of a Carp. Some of them are fusiform; others, more or less elon· gated, resemble Serpents, the .B.nguis particularly, to which they are related by several internal affinities, and which they connect with the family of the Iguanida, by an uninterrupted suite of transitio~s. Their tongue is fleshy, but slightly extensible and emarginate; the jaws every where furnished with small, closely set teeth. In the anus, eye, ear, &c., they bear a greater or less resemblance to the Iguanre and Lizards; the feet are furnished with free and unguiculated toes. Certain species have palatine teeth, and an emargination on the antel'ior edge of the tympanum. Among this number, on account of its trenchant and some· what raised muzzl'e,(2) we should distinguish the Seine. officinalis, Schn.; Lac. scincus, Lin.; El .B.dda of the Arabs; Le scinque des pharmacies, Lacep. I, xxiii; Bruce, Abyss. pl. 39; Egypt. Rep. Suppl. pl. 2, f. 8. Six or eight inches long; the tail shorter than the body; the latter of a silvery yellow; transverse blackish bands; inhabits Nubia, Abyssinia, and Ara· ( 1) I do not know the Cham. dilepis, Leach, or bilobus, Kuhl. (2) This species alone composes the genus ScxNcus of Fitzinger, the others constitute his genus MAnoua. SAURIA. 47 bia, whence it is sent to Alexandria, and from there distributed throughout Europe. It possesses a surprising facility of burying itself in the sand when pursued.( 1) Among those which have blunt muzzles we may observe a spe· cies diffused throughout India; the Sc. rufescens, which is greenish, with a yellowish line along the flanks; each scale has three small ridges. There is one from the south of Africa, very common in the vicinity of the Cape; the Sc. trivittatus, brown; three paler lines along the back and tail; black spots between the lines.(2) But above all we should remark the great Levant species, Sc. cyprius, Cuv.; Lac. cyprius sincoides, Aldrov., Quadr.,Dig. 666; Geoff. Eg. Rept. pl. iii, f. 3, under the name of .B.nolis gigantesque, which is greenish, with smooth scales; the tail longer than the body, and a pale line along each flank. In others, the TILH(UA of Gray, the palatine teeth are wanting. There is one of these very common in the south of Europe, Sardinia, Sicily, and Egypt; Sc. variegatas, Sc. ocellatus, Schn.; Daud., IV, lvi; Geoff. Eg. Rept. pl. v, f. 1, under the name of .!lnolis mm·bre; and better, Savigny,Ib., Supp. pl. ii, f. 7, which has small, round black spots, each marked with a white streak on the back, flanks, and tail. There is most commonly a pale line along each side of the back. The French Antilles produce several species, one of which is ( 1) The Greeks and Latins called the Terrestrial Crocodile, Scincus; it was consequently a Monitor to which they attributed so many virtues; but since the middle century, the above species is usually sold under this name, and for the same purposes. Eastern nations, in particuhw, consider it as a powerful aphrodisiac. (2) Add Sc. erytltrocephalus, Gilliams, Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. I, xviii [or the Scorpion Lizard, Penn. .11m. Ed.];-Sc. bicolor, Harlan, lb. IV, xviii, 1;-Sc. multiseria. tus, Nob.; Geoff. Eg. Rep. IV, f. 4,_ underthe name of .llnolis pavt.-We also think it proper to refer to this subdivision, although we have not been able to procure the animal, the great Scincus, called in Jamaica the Galley-Wasp; Sloane, II, pl. 273, f. 9 (Lac. occidua, Sh.). [N.ll. A new species of Scincus has la.tely been described by Messrs Peale and Green, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. Vol. VI, f. 233, under the specific appellation of ventralis. It is about fifteen inches in length, and is thus designated, "Scincus ventralis.-Cauda. longa: corpore supra olivacea, cum maculis nigris, subtus alb eo: squamis dorsalibus carinatis et imbricatis; plica maculata in utroque latere corpo· ris: palmis et plantes pentadactylis." Though the describers of this species prefer considering it a Scincus, they think it might very properly constitute a new genus under the name of P'.rEROGASTERUS. It inhabits Mexico, and is called Escorpion by the natives of that country, who considet· it extremely venomous. .11m. Ed.) \ |
