The family of Ophiomoridæ is founded on a single genus and species, Ophiomorus miliaris, which inhabits North Africa. As remarked by Dr. Gray, this reptile seems to be intermediate to the Acontiadæ and the Scincidæ, and makes it appear as if the large rostral shield of the former was formed of the united rostral, supra-nasal, and nasal shields of the present family, and of the Scincidæ. It has an elongate, cylindrical body, without external limbs, and the ears are hidden under the skin; the eyes are distinct, with valvular eyelid; and the scales of the body and somewhat elongate tail are hexagonal.
The Sepsidæ differ from the preceding, and also from the great family of the Scincidæ, by having the nostrils placed in the front edge of a small shield, in a notch at the hinder side of the rostral plate, which latter is rather large and square. The eyes are distinct, the lower eyelid scaly, or with a transparent disk. Body fusiform or sub-cylindrical, elongate. These reptiles burrow in dry sand, and are peculiar to the anciently-known continents and certain islands. Some have a wedge-shaped head, with prominent rostral plate. Of these the genus Sphenops has more developed limbs, each dividing into four toes; and the only species, S. sepsoides, inhabits Egypt and other parts of North Africa. Sphenocephalus has a more slender and elongate shape, and the limbs are placed more distantly apart; the anterior minute, and fitting into a groove, the posterior as large as in Sphenops, and each of them having but three toes, of which the innermost and next are sub-equal, and the outer much shorter. The only known species, S. tridactylus, is common in Afghanistan. In Scelotes the anterior limbs disappear altogether; and the only known species, S. bipes, inhabits South Africa. Other genera have a pyramidal head, with the rostral plate erect, and rounded in front. Such are the five following, each founded on a single species:—Gongylus ocellatus, from North Africa and the borders of the Mediterranean; Thyrus Bojeri, from the Mauritius; Amphiglossus astrolabi, from Madagascar; Seps tridactylus, from the south of Europe and north of Africa; and Heteromeles mauritanicus, from North Africa. The last has only two toes to the fore-feet, three to the hind; and Seps has three toes to each foot, while the other three genera have five to each foot. In general these animals are found in dry and elevated spots, where they hide themselves in the sand or under stones.
Fig. 25.—Seps tridactylus.
The Scincidæ have the head covered with shields, which are symmetrically arranged. Tongue slender, free, extersile, terminating in two pointed lobes. Scales on the back rounded, quincuncial, imbricate; those on the belly similar to those on the back and on the sides. No fold across the throat or along the side; no femoral or inguinal pores. Tail generally long, rounded, fragile. Eyes and eyelids well developed. Nostrils in a separate plate, between the frontal and labial shields. Generally four limbs, moderately developed, sometimes feeble or hidden below the skin. The species of this family are exceedingly numerous, and inhabit almost every part of the tropical regions, some extending into the temperate zones. They are thoroughly land Lizards, preferring dry ground, and hiding themselves in the sand, under stones, fallen leaves, &c., very few of them entering the water. They do not attain to any considerable size, only a few species of Australia and the West Indies growing to the thickness of a man's wrist, and exceeding a foot in length. Some of them are viviparous, others deposit from eight to twelve globular eggs. Dr. Gray divides them into the sub-families of Scincinæ, or those which have the scales thin, smooth, and neither striated nor keeled; the nostrils in a single smooth plate, without any lunate groove behind; and the tail round, tapering, unarmed; and Tropidophorinæ, or those which have the scales thick, bony, rugous, striated, and with one or more keels upon each of them; the rostral plate rounded in front, and the body fusiform, with well-developed limbs, which terminate always in the full complement of toes. A few species of the Scincinæ have no external limbs, thus approximating in their appearance to certain of the burrowing Ophidians.]
The Orvet, or Blind-worm, Anguis fragilis, is small, cylindrical in shape, about eleven or twelve inches in length, and having the exterior appearance of Snakes. The scales which cover the body are small, smooth and shining, being red in the middle, and edged with white, of a silvery yellow on the upper part, and dusky beneath; the sides somewhat dusky brown, and the throat slightly marbled with white, black, and yellow. Two larger spots appear, one above the muzzle, the other upon the back of the head; from this point two blackish longitudinal rays start, which extend to the tail, as well as two other nut-brown rays, which start from the eyes; the markings vary, however, in different countries, and probably with age and sex.
Fig. 26.—Orvet, or Blind-worm (Anguis fragilis).
The Orvet is found in woods and dry, sandy, and stony wastes. They are timid, harmless creatures, retiring into holes and concealing themselves in moss at the foot of trees to hide themselves from observation. They feed upon worms, insects, and the smaller mollusks. Although perfectly harmless, the country-people are strongly prejudiced against them, believing their bite to be a deadly poison. This animal is extremely brittle. Laurenti and others assert that when captured it throws itself into a position of such rigidity that it sometimes breaks in two, and that a smart blow of a switch will at any time divide it.
[There are little-known species of Anguis in India and South Africa, which are at least provisionally so considered, and certainly do not differ essentially; and next we come to forms in which the limbs are successively more developed. Such are the Ophiodes striatus of Brazil, which has two short, flattened, undivided, and one-pointed limbs, corresponding to the usual hind pair; the Brachymeles bonitæ of the Philippines, in which there are two pairs of short and rudimentary limbs, the fore bearing two minute claws, while the hind are undivided; Venira bicolor, of the same archipelago has very short limbs, the fore and hind being placed distantly apart, but in this genus all have five distinct toes; Chiamelea lineata, from some part of India, and Hagria Vosmaërii, from Bengal, are kindred forms which conduct to the genus Eumeces, the species of which are very numerous, and spread over nearly all the different countries between or near the tropics, and in certain of them (as the Burmese E. anguinus) the limbs are still remarkably diminutive, and (as in E. isodactylus of Cambodia) the fore and hind limbs are placed very far apart, the body and tail being long and anguiform. In various other species of Eumeces, however, the proportions are more those of an ordinary Scink, as again in the kindred genera Mabonia and Plestiodon, which are widely distributed.