Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [lleptiks. 



Plate 141. 



EGERNIA CUNNLNGHAMI (Gray). 

 The Spiny-ridged Lizard. 



[Genus EGERNIA (Gray). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order Sauria. 

 Sub-order Leptoglossie. Tribe Geissosaura. Family Scincidas. ) 



Gen. Char. — Head semi-rbomboidal, thick, flattened above, narrowed and rounded in front ; 

 shields convex, rugged ; nasals ovato-triangular, nearly touching above ; nostrils large, round, 

 with prominent edges, with curved groove behind ; supranasal none ; rostral triangular ; inter- 

 nasal large, rhomboidal, as long as broad ; fronto-nasals rhombic, separate, lateral ; frontal 

 moderate, elongate, narrow behind, hexagonal ; fronto-parietals two, contiguous in front, 

 diverging behind to receive the anterior part of the interparietal, which is like the frontal but 

 smaller ; parietals moderate, semi ovate ; a row of 6 or 7 large temporal shields between the 

 fronto-nasals and parietals over the eye ; orbit without any scales between it and the hinder 

 labial plates ; eyelids distinct, lower eyelid scaly ; ear-opening large, oval, with four large, pointed, 

 lobe-like scales on anterior edge ; tongue thin, flat, wide, notched at tip. Body fusiform, sides 

 rounded ; tail cylindrical, gradually tapering, conical, as long as the body. Legs four, strong ; 

 toes long, slender, compressed, unequal, clawed. Scales thick, bony : of back, sides, and upper 

 part of limbs broad, hexagonal, each with a strong, central keel ending posteriorly in a strong 

 spine directed backwards and upwards ; those of the six rows on tail much the largest ; those 

 of nape with 3 or 5 longitudinal grooves ; those of throat and belly broad, thin, smooth, 

 hexagonal or ovate. Teeth large. Australia.] 



Description. — Colour: Above, brownish-olive, irregularly mottled with 

 blackish-brown and whitish on the sides ; head brown ; chin and throat yellowish- 

 white or gTey ; under surface of chest, belly, and tail yellowish and greyish-white, 

 with an olive tint on the sides and strongly mottled with blackish-brown. A 

 variable number of small angular white spots in some specimens on flanks, tail, and 

 upper side of legs. Tongue greyish-blue. Iris dark-brown. About 20 rows of 

 spines directed backwards, forming as many narrow, prominent ridges on upper 

 surface of body ; about 7, stronger, with much larger and more elevated spines on 

 tail, and 5 or 6 smaller, spinose ridges on upper aspect of each leg ; scales on back 

 of neck not ridged, nor spinose, but with 3 or 5 longitudinal grooves ; scales of 

 under side of throat, breast, belly, and tail smooth, with thin, rounded, imbricating 

 edges, and a few faint, longitudinal ridges. Measurements : Length, 1 ft. 2 ins. 

 6 lines. Proportional measurements to total length (taken as 100) : — Length of head, 

 yVV ; width at base of ear, y§ 7 ; from tip of snout to front of orbit, T ;';,, ; height of 

 rostral, y^; length of internasal, y^; width, y \ ; length of frontal plate, yf^j 

 width, yfo ; length of interparietal, yfpj-; from tip of snout to anterior leg, ,-,- - ; 

 to front of posterior leg-^ y^o > length of tail, T Vo '■> width of tail at base, -^W,, ; at 

 middle, T 3 <j%; longest hind toe, yfhj ; longest toe on anterior foot, y^; length of 

 anterior leg to origin of toes, y 1 ^; length of hind leg to origin of toes, T \ 2 (r ; width 

 of middle of body, y 1 ^; depth of ditto, yW- Four scales in length of G lines 

 in middle of belly; 4 spinose ridges in same space on back, with 4 scales in 

 same space lengthwise ; 3 ridges in same space on tail, and little over 2 spines 

 lengthwise. 



J o' 



Reference. — Stokes' Discoveries in Australia v. 1, p. 499, t. 2. 



Vol. II.— Decade XV.-2a, f 157 ] 



