Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. \_ReptiUt. 



like keel, about one-seventli the width of the scale, in twelve rows at middle of 

 body, keeled, and eleven rows without keels on sides and belly; keels of body 

 continuous, of tail alternate; number of abdominal plates from throat to vent 

 usually about ?8 or 80. Posterior le^'-lobes broad, rounded at tip, with four rows of 

 scales on outer side, the length about four-fifths the length of head in males, or equal 

 to nearly five of the scales of the sides in front ; twice as long as wide ; only as long 

 as from tip of snout to anterior edge of eye in females. Colors: Very variable; ground 

 color whitish below, lavender-blue above, with a brown tinge often on the outer 

 skin; some specimens (as our Plate 153, Pig. 2) have only a few, irregular, dark 

 specks or none on the sides and upper surface, and the under-side plain-yellowish- 

 white; while others (as our Plate 152, Fig. 1) have a long, divided, black, white-edged 

 patch on the top of the head, continued along midline of back as a series of oblong, 

 black spots with narrow white edges, and one or two lines of similar, oblong, quad- 

 rangular, black, white-edged spots on each side, and the whole under surface netted 

 or marbled with the lavender-blue of the back. I have one specimen with the former 

 coloring on the anterior half of the body and the rows of white-edged black spots 

 on the hinder half, and there are many subordinate variations of each, showing 

 clearly that the specimens, apparently so diiferent in this respect, do not diflfer in 

 any other. A black vertical spot from the eye across both lips is the most constant. 

 Measurements: From tip of snovit to base of tail, 6 ins. 6 lines; from base of tail to 

 tip of tail, ] ft. 4 ins. C lines ; length of head from tip of snout to ear, 8 lines ; 

 length of leg-flap, 5^ lines, width, 2 lines. 



Reference. =i?i;;es lepidojjodus, Laceji. Annal. du Muse. d'Hist. Nat., v. 4, t. 

 45, f. 1; =^ Pygopus lepidopui, Merrem. Tent., p. 11; = Hysteropus Novce 

 Hollandice, Dum. et Bib. Erpt. Gen., v. 5, p. 828, t. b5+Pygopics aquamiceps, 

 Gray Cat. Liz., p. 68, Er. and Ter. t. 8, Fig. 3. 



These curious creatures are more like snakes than lizards in 

 appearance, from the form of the body, absence of true feet, 

 and having scales above, and larger abdominal and sub-caudal 

 shields below. The resemblance to snakes rather than to lizards is 

 anatomically suggested by the simplicity of the lower jaw bones on 

 each side ; the angular, supra-angular, and articular bones being 

 anchylosed. The transverse row of pre-anal pores is like that in 

 the Amphisbence. The two sides of the lower jaw being fixed in 

 front, the external ears, eye-lids, and other structural characters 

 show that they have no affinity with snakes, but are true lizards. 



The spotted specimens often agree in coloring and marking 

 with Dr. Gray's illustration of Lialis B^irtoni, and the plainer ones 

 agree with his P. squamiceps and Dumeril's figure in coloring ; 

 but there are many intermediate specimens, clearly proving the 

 character to be of no specific value ; in some specimens, several of 

 the oblong spots are confluent, forming short streaks. 



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