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CHAP. XIX.] REPTILES. 403
General Remarks on the Distribution of the Lacertilia.
The distribution of the Lacertilia is, in many particulars,
strikingly opposed to that of the Ophidia. The Oriental,
instead of being the richest is one of the poorest regions, both
in the number of families and in the number of peculiar genera
it contains ; while in both these respects the Neotropical is by
far the richest. The distribution of the families is as follows :
The Nearctic region has 7 families, none of which are peculiar
to it; but it has 3 peculiar genera
—
—
Chirotes, 0]jhisaurus, and
Phrynosoma.
The Palsearctic region has 12 families, with two (Ophio-
moridse and Trogonophidse, each consisting of a single species)
peculiar ; while it has 6 peculiar or very characteristic genera,
Trogonophis in North Africa, Fsammodromus in South Europe,
Hyalosaurus in North Africa, Scincus in North Africa and Arabia,
Ophiomorus in East Europe and North Africa, and Phrynocephalus
in Siberia, Tartary, and Afghanistan. We have here a striking
amount of diversity between the Nearctic and Palsearctic
regions with hardly a single point of resemblance.
The Ethiopian region has 13 families, only one of which (the
Chamaesauridse, consisting of a single species) is altogether pecu-
liar; but it possesses 21 peculiar or characteristic genera, 9
belonging to the Zonuridae, 2 to the Sepidse, 7 to the Geckotidse,
and 3 to the Agamidae.
The Oriental region has only 8 families, none of which are
peculiar; but there are ,
28 peculiar genera, 6 belonging to the
Scincidse, 1 to the Acontiadse, 5 to the Geckotidse, and 16 to the
Agamidae. Many lizards being sand and desert-haunters, it is not
surprising that a number of forms are common to the border-
yet the Sepidse, so
lands of the Oriental and Ethiopian regions ;
abundant in all Africa, do not range to the peninsula of India and
;
the equally Ethiopian Zonuridse have only one Oriental species,
found, not in the peninsula but in the Kliasya Hills. The Acon-
tiadse alone offer some analogy to the distribution of the Lemurs,
being found in Africa, Madagascar, Ceylon, and the Moluccas.
The Australian region has 11 families, 3 of which are pecu-