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ON A NEW SKINK LIZARD FROM TASMANIA. 

 By C. Frost, F.L.S., and A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.Sc. 



Hemisph.eriodon tasmanicum, sp.nov. 



iSnout short, obtuse. Frontonasal broader than long, in contact 

 with the rostral ; prtefrontals forming a median suture ; three 

 supraoculars ; six supraciliaries ; a series of small intraorbitals ; 

 from one to four pairs of nuchals ; fifth upper labial entering the 

 01 bit. 



Ear-opening round, smaller than the eye-opening. Scales 

 smooth, twenty-six round the middle of the body. Adpressed 

 limbs widely separated. Tail cylindrical, about as long as the 

 head and body. 



Colour : Dark olive-brown above ; undersurfaces greyish or 

 brownish ; throat immaculate ; tail with a series of dark wavy 

 narrow transverse bands. 



Dimensions: Total length, 207mm.; head, 16mm; width of 

 head, 11mm.; body, 87 mm,; fore limb, 17 mm.; hind limb, 

 2.3 mm. ; tail, 104 mm. 



Locality : About Lake St. Clair, Tasmania (collected by Pro- 

 fessor Spencer). 



Hemisphoiriodoa has been so far a monotypic genus, including 

 only the banded species, H. gerrardii, Gray, occurring in Queens- 

 land. The present species has the aspect of H. gerrardii, 

 but is at once distinguished from it by the uniform coloration. 

 The enlarged lateral tooth on each side of each jaw while distinctly 

 larger than the other teeth cannot be termed enormous by com- 

 parison with them. The special interest in the species is its 

 atfinity to the Queensland species. Of course the genus may be 

 met with hereafter in intermeidate localities, but we have not 



