NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 313 



tibial series of nine plates, fifth and sixth from the foot largest ; inner rows 

 three. Heel devoid of tubercles ; soles uniformly granular. Scales of the tail- 

 whorls weakly keeled. Scales of back and sides very small, smooth, rounded. 

 An antibrachial patch of six or seven narrowly transverse shields ; posterior 

 brachial patch not defined, composed of small hexagonal scales. Palm with 

 two small tubercles near base of external digit. Femoral pores 36 in male, 

 32 in female. Length of head and body to vent, 4 in. 10 1., vent to end of 

 tail 11 in. 4 1., head to posterior gular fold 1 in. 7 1., femur (anterior) 1 in., 

 tibia (external) 10 lin., foot with fourth digit, 1 in. 7 1. 



Color, black ; the lower surfaces tinged with glaucous green. 



This addition to the numerous list of Atneivse fills a new position in the 

 genus. It is not closely allied to any species known to us, though its facies 

 is much that of A. d o r s a 1 i s of Jamacia. Museums Acad. Nat. Sci. (Mr. 

 Hanson,) and Smithsonian, (Mr. A. H. Riise.) 



We are informed by Mr. J. M. Jones, in his " Naturalist in Bermuda," that a 

 species of " Sciricus " inhabits the islands, and that it is the only indigenous true 

 reptile. He notices its resemblance to Plestiodon laticeps (" <S. fasciatus,") 

 of the United States, and gives a description of an old male specimen. The 

 Smithsonian Institute having liberally loaned us specimens (No. 4737) ob- 

 tained by Hon. J. H. Darrell, I am enabled to state its specific characters, as 

 follows. 



Plestiodon longirostris Cope. Form much as in P. la t ice p s, the 

 tail a little thicker, the muzzle more narrow and elongate. The anterior ex- 

 tremity extended forward reaches the anterior border of the orbit ; the pos- 

 terior reaches to beyond the appressed elbow, but not to the axilla. Rostral 

 plate as high as broad, less depressed than in laticeps: nasal small ; naso- 

 frenal smaller, trapezoid ; anterior frenal as long as high. Eight superior 

 labial plates, the sixth and seventh bordering the inferior palpebra. Each 

 occipital bounded by two temporals, (sometimes confluent) and a postoccipital ; 

 the anterior temporal bounded by two inferior temporals, the anterior small, 

 the posterior larger than the eighth upper labial. Inter-occipital large, 

 rounded posteriorly, very acute anteriorly. Fronto-parietal plates gemmi- 

 form, in contact by their inner angles. Supra oculars four ; anterior supra- 

 ocular small, barely or not in contact with the fronto-nasal. Inferior palpebra 

 granular ; a series of six to eight vertical scales beneath the marginal row. 

 Supranasals large, considerably in contact ; internasal transverse subtruncate 

 posteriorly ; fronto-nasals as long, or more frequently longer than broad, ex- 

 tensively in contact. Frontal elongate, in front obtuse, posteriorly acute angled. 

 Inferior labials seven ; symphyseal deeper than in laticeps; a large seven - 

 sided mental in contact with two labials on each side, two infralabials pos- 

 teriorly, and the symphyseal anteriorly. Three transverse infralabials on each 

 side, the anterior not separated by a postmental. Three slightly prominent 

 granules upon the superior part of anterior auricular border. Digits com- 

 pressed ; of the posterior the fourth has twice the extent of the fifth. Sole 

 tuberculous externally and internally ; medially granular ; palm tuberculous 

 posteriorly. Scales small, especially upon the sides ; rows from 39 to 42. 

 Preanal plates four, the median pair very large, the exterior very small. 

 Total length 6 in. 6 lin., tail 3 in. 9 lin. Color above, from rusty to ashy brown, 

 paler on the tail. A white line commences at the anterior angle of the orbit, 

 and extending above the latter, reaches as far as the crural region. It is mar- 

 gined with black superiorly, and separated from that of the opposite side by 

 eight rows of scales. Beneath it, the sides are black or brownish for a width 

 of three and a half scales, beneath which shade is another narrow white line, 

 extending from beneath the orbit to the groin. The dark color of the sides 

 extends upon the tail for one-third its length. The under surface of this mem- 

 ber, of the extremities and belly, greenish blue ; throat and chin yellowish. 

 In younger specimens a light line upon each canthus rostralis is analogous 

 to those which unite and form the median dorsal band in P. laticeps. 



1861.] 



