Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. ^Reptiles. 



each side of triangular lig-ht-colour spots, continuing" the lines of the anterior brown 

 streaks (but not constant). Under-side of body and tail irregularly flecked or 

 reticulated with triangular brown spots, imperfectl}' continuing the transverse bands 

 of the back and sides, but often absent. Legs with the margin of the scales dark- 

 brown on the upper and hinder surface. Tongue bright Prussian blue, inside of 

 mouth pink. 



Total length of rather large specimen 



Length of head from snout to anterior edge of ear 



Length of inter-nasal plate 



Width „ „ 



Length of frontal plate 



Greatest width of do. ... 



Length of inter-parietal 



Greatest width of do. ... 



Length of middle temporal plate 



Height of rostral plate 



Diameter of car 



From tip of snout to anterior edge of shoulder 



Length of anterior limb to tip of longest claw 



„ of longest toe and claw ... 



„ from anterior edge of shoulder to anterior edge of 

 thigh 



„ of hind limb to extremity of longest claw ... 



„ of tail 

 Girth round middle of body 

 Four transverse and five longitudinal rows of scales in space 

 of one inch on middle of back. 



Reference. — Scincns gigas (Boddaert), Nov. Act. Curios. Nat. Acad. v. 7, p. 5 

 = Laeerta sincoides (White) J. Voy. N.S.W., t. 30 = Cyclodus Jlavigidaris 

 (Wooster) Leon. Descript. Amphib. t. 6 = Cyclodus Boddaerti (Dum. and Bib.) 

 Erp. Gen. v. 5, p. 752. 



There are two Lizards of the genus Cyclodus^ very nearly aUke, 

 found in Victoria. The one figured, the C. gigas^ is very rare near 

 Melbourne, becoming more common farther north into New South 

 Wales. It is easily chstinguished from the more common species, 

 the C. nigro-Iufeus^ by the four anterior temporal plates of the first 

 row behind the eye being double the length of the next following, 

 more posterior, row. The disposition of the colouring varies to the 

 extent referred to above, but always shows tlie transverse dark and 

 light bands, instead of the lateral rows of large light blotches of the 

 second species, in which the anterior temporal plates are relatively 

 only half the length, not equalling those of the next following, more 

 posterior, row. Both have the startlingly bright-blue tongue, 

 which the creature displays in its pink open mouth when touched. 

 When taken in the hand it does not bite, nor make any other 

 hostile demonstration. These Lizards are very sluggish, so that 



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