368 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



Xiphigorgia juncea Horn. 



Gorgonia juncea Pallas, Elench. Zoop. 1766, p. 180. 

 Ellis, Nat. Hist. Zooph. 1786, p. 81. 

 Lamarck, Anim. Sans. Vert. 1816, p. 320. 

 Lamouroux, Polyp. Flex. 1816, p. 419. 

 Dana, Zoop. U. S. Exp. 1848, p. 664. 

 Xiphigorgia setacea Edwards, Coralliaires, 1857, p. 172. 



Xiphigorgia s e t a ce a Horn. 



Gorgonia setacea Pallas op. cit. p. 182. 

 Lamouroux, op. cit. p. 421. 

 Lamarck, op. cit. Deux. Edit. ii. p. 502. 

 Pterogorgia setacea Dana, op. cit. p. 653. 



Xiphigorgia simplex Horn. 



Pterogorgia simplex Gorg. Comptes Rendus, xli. p. 13. 



Descriptions of Reptiles from Tropical America and Asia. 

 BY E. D. COPE. 



SlDEROLAMPRUS Cope. 



Scales smooth, toes 5 5. Palatine teeth none. Lower eyelid covered with 

 large scales. Nostril in the centre of an elongate nasal plate. Two pairs of 

 supranasals, contiguous. Internasal present, fronto-nasals absent. Frontal 

 in contact with the interparietal, thus separating the fronto-parietals. Parietals 

 small, widely separated by the broad occipital. Tail cylindrical. 



This genus of scinks is most nearly allied to Eumeces and Otosaurus, but 

 may be distinguished by the presence of two pairs of supranasals, and absence 

 of fronto-nasal. 



S. KNNEAGRAMMUS Cope. 



Vertical plate elongate, broadest posteriorly, the lateral borders very con- 

 cave. Palpebral plates five. Tail longer than the head and body. Color 

 above glossy black, shading into ultramarine blue about the middle of the 

 tail. A delicate line of the latter color occupies the centre of each of the cen- 

 tral nine rows of dorsal scales. These are all discontinued upon the occiput, 

 except the external one upon each side, which passes round the side of the 

 head and meets its fellow upon the muzzle. The palpebral and supranasal 

 plates are suffused with blue, and delicately bordered with black. Beneath 

 dirty white, shaded with blue upon the abdomen and tail. Length of head and 

 body to vent, 15 lines ; of tail (mutilated) 16 lines. 



This beautiful little scink was discovered by Sr. Rafael M. De Oca, in the 

 vicinity of Jalapa, Mexico, and obtained for the Academy by Dr. Thomas 

 Wilson. 



Tropidonotus coMPSOLiEMDS Cope. 



Scales in nineteen longitudinal rows, all keeled. Head distinct, short, deep ; 

 profile anteriorly descending. Rostral plate twice as broad as high. Pre- 

 frontals subtriangular ; loreal longer than high. One rather narrow preocular ; 

 postoculars three, the lowest very small. Vertical and superciliaries elongate ; 

 lateral borders of the former scarcely converging; the latter narrow. Superior 

 labials eight, fourth and fifth entering the orbit. Inferior labials nine. Tail 

 slender, slightly compressed at the base, three-tenths of the total length. Gas- 

 trosteges 126; a divided anal; urosteges 67. Total length 16 inches of tail 

 3 in. 6 lin. 



[Sept. 



