. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. 178 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD. retrograde forms in which the hinder limbs are entirely absent or the front ones reduced to mere stumps. These exceptional instances pave the way to the family of the Amphisbaenas, in which such or a still lower phase of limb development represents the normal condition. The Amphisbaenas are remarkable for their worm-like re- semblance, and for the circumstances that they live like earth-worms in bur- rows, that their ej'es are functionless (being co
. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. 178 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD. retrograde forms in which the hinder limbs are entirely absent or the front ones reduced to mere stumps. These exceptional instances pave the way to the family of the Amphisbaenas, in which such or a still lower phase of limb development represents the normal condition. The Amphisbaenas are remarkable for their worm-like re- semblance, and for the circumstances that they live like earth-worms in bur- rows, that their ej'es are functionless (being concealed beneath the skin), and that they are without ears. Other details of structure indicate a most rudimentary condition of develop- ment, and the}^ consequently rank as the lowest group in the Lizard series. Another peculiarity of the Amphisbaenas is that, in place of scales, the skin of the body is divided into square segments, which form symmetrical rings like those of worms. In addition to this, these retrograde lizards possess the worm-like faculty of being able to move backwards and forwards in their burrows with equal facility. It is from this peculiar property that their title of Amphisbajna, signifying " moving both ways," is derived. The representatives of this family, including between sixty and seventy species, are widely distributed, being found in America, the West Indies, Africa, and also European countries that border the Mediterranean While the Teguexins present resemblances in one direction with the Amphisbaenas, or Worm-like Lizards, the higher or Monitor-like forms have much in common with the Typical or True Lizards, of which two small but well-known species — the Sand- and VIVIPAROUS Lizard — are indigenous to the British Isles. All the members of the True Lizards, num- berino- some hundred species, are inhabitants of the Old World, becoming scarce, however, towards the far east of the Asiatic Continent. All possess shapel}' bodies and wel
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