273 



separated from it; latter large, fused with the frontoparietals; 

 five supraoculars, second largest, last smallest; five or six 

 supraciliaries; parietals in contact; a pair of nuchals and a 

 pair of temporals. 20 — 28 scales round the body, smooth or 

 slightly striated, dorsals largest, the two median series often 

 transversely dilated. Tail longer than head and body. Limbs 

 strong, pentadactyle ; the hind limb reaches the axilla or nearly 

 so far; digits long and slender, with smooth lamellae below. 



Olive, brown or greenish above, with light and black longi- 

 tudinal lines. Length of head and body 43 mm.; tail 62 mm. 



Habitat: Indo-Australian Archipelago; Australia; Poly- 

 nesia; tropical parts of America and Africa, S. Africa. 



With relation to the number of scales and the coloration, 

 the following subspecies may be distinguished. 



a. boiitoni Desj. 



Scincus houtonii^ Desjardins, Ann. Sc. Nat. XXII 1831, p. 298. 



26 (24 or 28) scales round the body; fifth or sixth upper 

 labial below the eye. Olive above, spotted or marbled with 

 black, with an indistinct light lateral band. 



New Guinea (Aroma); Flores!. — Mauritius. 



b. poecilopleuriis Wiegm. 



Ablepharus poecilopleuriis^ Wiegniann, Nova Acta Ac. Leop.-Carol. XVII 1835, 

 p. 202, pi. VIII fig. I. 



28 (26) scales round the body ; fifth labial below the eye. 

 Brown or olive above, spotted or marbled with black, with a 

 light lateral band; limbs and sides light-dotted. 



New Guinea (Hula, Aroma). — Sandwich Islands; Savage 

 Islands ; Bahia. 



c. peroni Coct. 



Cryptoblepharis peronii^ Cocteau, Et. Seine, p. i. 



22 or 24 (26) scales round the body; fifth labial below the 

 eye. Brown or greenish above, with a light, greenish lateral 

 band, edged on both sides with black, the inner black line 

 broad, covering about half the vertebral series of scales; flanks 

 dark with light spots; limbs and tail spotted with brown and 

 Hght. Lower parts greenish. 



Java; Timor; Samao; Timor Laut; Aru Islands; Buru; 



INDO-AUSTRALIAN REPTILES I. 1 8 



