. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . the nostrils placed in the frontedge of a small shield, in a notch at the hinder side of the rostralplate, which latter is rather large and square. The eyes are dis-tinct, the lower eyelid scaly, or with a transparent disc; bodyfusiform or sub-cylindrical, elongate. These reptiles burrow in drysand, and are peculiar to the anciently-known continents and certainislands. Some have a wedge-shaped head, with prominent rostralplate. Of these the genus Sphenops has m
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . the nostrils placed in the frontedge of a small shield, in a notch at the hinder side of the rostralplate, which latter is rather large and square. The eyes are dis-tinct, the lower eyelid scaly, or with a transparent disc; bodyfusiform or sub-cylindrical, elongate. These reptiles burrow in drysand, and are peculiar to the anciently-known continents and certainislands. Some have a wedge-shaped head, with prominent rostralplate. Of these the genus Sphenops has more developed limbs, SEPSIDM. 95 each dividing into four toes, and the only species, S. sepsoides,inhabits Egypt and other parts of North Africa. Sphenocephalushas a more slender and elongate shape, and the limbs are placedmore distantly apart; the anterior minute, and fitting into agroove, the posterior as large as in Sphenops, and each of themhaving but three toes, of which the innermost and next are sub-equal, and the outer much shorter. The only known species,S. tridadylus (Fig. 24), is common in Afghanistan. In Scelotes the. Fig. 24. —Seps tridactylus. anterior limbs disappear altogether; and the only known species,6. hipes, inhabits South Africa. Other genera have a pyramidalhead, with the rostral plate erect, and rounded in front. Such arethe five following, each founded on a single species :—Gongylusocellaius, from North Africa and the borders of the Mediterranean;Thyrus Bojerz, from the Mauritius; Amphiglossus astrolabi, fromMadagascar; Seps tridactylus from the south of Europe and northof Atrica; and Heteroineles mauritanicus, from North Africa. Thelast has only two toes to the fore-feet, three to the hind; andSeps has three toes to each foot, while the other three generahave five to each foot. In general these animals are found in dryand elevated spots, where they hide themselves in the sand orunder stones. 96 REPTILES AND BIRDS. The Scmcidcz have the head covere
Size: 2009px × 1243px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectrep
