48 REPTILIA. 



improperly called there the Jlnolis de terre, and Mabouia; La- 

 cep. pi. xxiv; it is smoothj of a greenish brown, and has black- 

 ish points scattered along the backj a brown band imperfectly 

 terminated, reaching from the temple over the shoulder, and 

 beyond it.(l) 



The Moluccas and New Holland produce some species of this, 

 division, which are remarkable for their thickness. (2) 



Seps, Daud.(3) 



Seps only differs from Scincus in the more elongated body, which 

 is exactly similar to that of an Anguis, and in the still smaller feet, 

 the two pairs of which are further apart. Their lungs begin to 

 exhibit some inequality. 



There is one species, -S". scincoides, Nob., with five toes, of 

 which the posterior are unequal. 



One with five nearly equal and short toes, .Unguis quadrupes, 

 L. ; Lacerta serpens, Gm. j Block, Soc. of Nat. of Berl. vol. II, 

 pi. 2.(4) From the East Indies. 



One with four toes, the posterior of which are unequal? (Te- 

 tradactylus decresiensis, Per.;(5) and one with three, very simi- 

 lar otherwise to the preceding, the Tridactylus decresiensisy Per. 

 Both are from the island of Cres, and are viviparous. 



A fifth, with three short toes, and very small feet, called in 

 Italy 



Cecelia or Cicigna, Lac. chalcides, L., is grey, with four longi- 

 tudinal brown stripes, two each side of the back. It is vivipa- 



(1) The fig. of Lacep. is exact, the tail excepted, which is too short, it having 

 been broken in the original, an accident which frequently occurs to all Lizards. 

 Add the Sc. a Jlancs noirs, Quoy and Gaym. Voy. de Freyc. pi. 42; Sc. bistri- 

 atus, Spix, XXVI, 1. 



(2) Lac. scincoides, White, 242;-t-*S'c. nigrolufeus, Quoy et Gaym. Freyc, 41; 

 Sc. crotaphomelas, Per. and Lacep. &c. N.B. I have given but few species of 

 Scincus, because they are so badly characterized by authors, that it is almost im- 

 possible to indicate their synonymes with any certainty. There is no genus 

 which stands more in need of a monograph than this. 



(3) Seps and Chalcis were the ancient names of an animal which some consider 

 as a Lizard, and others a Serpent. It is very probable that they designated the 

 three-toed Seps of Greece and Italy. Seps is derived from ar>itsniv, to corrupt. 



(4) It forms the genus Ltgosoma of Gray; Fitzinger leaves it among his Mabuia, 

 or Scinci without palatine teeth. 



(5) It is to this species that Fi(;zinger appropriates the generic name of Se^St^ 

 hQ call^ it Seps Peronii. 



