Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. lUeptiles. 



sides of lower jaws; some (as our fig-ure 2) have the back plain, dotted, without 

 streaks, as in the type L. punctulata, but with the large, white spots below, as in 

 the typical L. Burtoni. Measurements : Tip of snout to base of leg-flaps, 6 in,; 

 tail, 6 in. 6 lines; tip of snout to anterior edge of eye, 4 lines; tip of snout to 

 ear, 85 lines ; diameter of middle of body, 3^ lines. 



References. — Lialis Burtoni, Gray, Cat. B. M. Lizards, p. 69 ; Ereb. and Ter., 

 p. 5, t. 8, f. 2 ; Grey's Trav. Austr., v. 2, p. 437, t. 3, f. 1 + L. hicatenata, Gray 

 I.e. + L. punctulata, Gray I.e. + L. leptorhyncha, Peters, Monatsberichte der 

 Koniglichen Preuss. Akad. der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1873, p. 605. 



The genus Lialis I think, with Mr. Boulanger, contains only 

 one species at present known, varying greatly in colour and slightly 

 in the proportional length of the snout, which characters have been 

 relied on by Gray and Peters in naming the supposed different 

 species indicated in the synonyms. These lizards are even more 

 like snakes than the Pt/gojyus, from the almost imperceptible 

 smallness of the rudiments of the hind limbs, scarcely larger or 

 longer than an ordinary adjacent scale, and the immovable eyelids. 

 The external open ear, however, and fleshy tongue indicate at a 

 glance the true afiinity to be with the lizards and not the snakes. 

 The curious character of the single (coalesced pair) parietal bone 

 in the skull, and also the sharp recurved teeth with swollen base, 

 so different from others of the Pygopidce^ almost warrant the 

 adoption of Gray's family Lialisidw for the genus, which apjiroaches 

 the Varanidce in this and in the premaxillary being single and 

 produced backwards between the nasals. Our figure 1 gives the 

 typical colouring of the variety named L. punctulata by Gray, in 

 which a very distinct white labial band extends along the lower 

 lip, and runs a vai'iable length along each side of the body, 

 separating a darker greyish brown under side from a much lightex', 

 greyish brown upper side, and with a shorter narrow white band 

 from nostril over eye beyond the ear ; the cheek between these 

 lines darker than any other part of the surface ; most of the scales 

 of the back with a small dai'k dot near middle. Our figure 2 

 shows the colouring half-way between that species and L. Burtoni, 

 from Trinity Bay, having longitudinal dark streaks on top of head, 

 and the large conspicuous Avhite spots on dark greyish-brown 

 under side, and vertical dark patches on side of cheeks and lower 

 jaw, as in L. Burtoni, but with the lighter, plain, unstreaked upper 



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