LIZARDS. 135 



4. Anilios. Tjphlops, Wagler ? 



Rostral oblong, regularly arched in front, erect, not narrowed 

 below. Nasal, frontonasal and eye-shields flat, oblong, subangu- 

 lar, well developed. Supranasal none. Nostril inferior, with an 

 arched slit to the lower edge of the nasal. Eyes distinct. Crown 

 with 3 series of 6-sided shields, the central smallest. Body sub- 

 cylindrical, rather larger behind. Scales smooth, equal-sized. 

 Preanal scales several, like the others. Tail very short, suddenly 

 tapering, convex above, tip acute. 



* The rostral large, hroad, oblong, nearly half as tvide as the head. 



The Australian Anilios. Anilios australis. Typhlops aus- 

 tralis, Grag, B. M. 1838. Zool. Erebus and Terror, t. 



Pale yellow, uniform; rostral shield broad, nasal shield broad 

 and rounded above ; the central crown-shield nearly as long as 

 broad, 6-sided, the second (frontal) the smallest, the first and third 

 nearly equal-sized ; tail veiy short, about as long as Avide. 



a, b. In spirits. W. Australia. From Mr. Buchanan's collection. 



** The rostral moderate, oblong, erect, about one third the width 



of the head. 



Leach's Anilios. Anilios Leachii. Acontias, n. s. Leach, 

 MSS. B. M. 



Body subcylindrical, rather thicker behind ; pale brown ; chin 

 and beneath yellow, the line of separation of the colours rather 

 ragged ; the front edge of the dorsal darker scales pale ; head- 

 shields brown, pale-edged ; the rostral moderate, rounded above, 

 very slightly concave on the sides ; the 3 central crown-shields 

 equal, the first rather rounded, and the second most truncated on 

 the hinder edge ; tail very short, scarcely so long as wide, the tip 

 acute, incurved. 

 a, b. In spirits. The largest most alike above and below. ? 



From Mr. Stuchbury's collection. 



The Black Australian Anilios. Anilios nigrescens, Grag, 

 Zool. Erebus and Terror, t. 



Body slender, blackish ; chin and under side white, the line of 

 separation rather ragged ; the dorsal scales pale-edged, especially 

 on the front; head whitish in front, the head-shields more or less 

 clouded with grey in the centre ; the rostral moderate, rounded 

 above, rather convex on the sides ; central crown-shields rhom- 

 bic, as long as broad, the first the largest, the second and third 

 equal-sized ; tail short, tapering, rather longer than wide, tip ra- 

 ther blunt, scarcely incurved. 



a. In spirits. Australia, Paramatta. Presented by G. Newport, Esq. 



b. In spirits. Australia. Presented by the Earl of Derby. 



n2 



