48 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



mitting him to do so in the character of a Corresponding Member. However 

 inadequate to make a due return for such a distinction, it will always be his 

 pleasure and his ambition to place his poor attainments at the service of the 

 Academy. 



Notice of a collection of Reptiles from the Gaboon country, "West Africa, recently 

 presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, by Dr. Henry A, 

 Ford. 



BY EDWARD HALLO WELL, M. D. 



Ord. SAURII. 



Fam. GECKONES. 



Hemidactylus ANGtJLATUS, Hallowell. Proc. Acad. N. S., vol. vi. p. 63. Six 

 specimens. 



Fam. LACERTIANS. 



(Sub-fam. Autosaures eselodontes, D. & B.) 



Tachydromus Fordii, nob. 



Char. A small plate between the fronto-nasal ; back with six complete 

 carinae and two incomplete ; abdomen strongly carinated ; femoral pores 

 oblong, oval, numerous; color bronze above with metallic reflections, greenish 

 below. 



Description. Nostril in a single plate, thenaso-rostral; immediately behind it 

 a small plate, the naso-frenal ; two frenals, an anterior and posterior, the latter 

 much the larger of the two ; one freno-orbitar on the right side, two on the left ; 

 that on the right oblong, quadrilateral ; rostral broad, pentangular, in contact 

 with the naso-rostral ; internasal large, in contact posteriorly with the fronto- 

 nasal and the small intermediate plate between them ; laterally with the naso- 

 rostral and the first frenal ; the frontal plate is long, hexagonal, slightly exca- 

 vated at its sides ; the supra-orbitar consists of two plates as in Lacerta ; there 

 are two fronto-parietals, two large parietals, an inter-parietal somewhat urceo- 

 late in shape, and a small occipital ; six plates margin the upper jaw, the fifth, 

 which is beneath the eye, by far the largest ; four plates on each side of the jaw 

 beneath the infra-labials, the three first quadrangular, the last less distinctly so, 

 but much larger than the others; auricular openings oval; no palatine teeth; 

 posterior maxillary teeth tricuspid, the anterior conical ; tongue slender, bifid in 

 front, chevronee ; body slender, covered with large hexagonal plates upon the 

 back, each with a carina running along the middle, constituting six longitudinal 

 complete rows ; besides these there are two others, which terminate about half 

 way down the body. Upon the abdomen six rows of plates strongly carinated ; 

 flanks covered with small plates ; extremities strongly carinated ; fourth finger 

 and toe the longest ; from 11 to 13 ohlong femoral pores on each side ; tail very 

 long, verticillate, strongly carinated both above and below. A large scale in 

 front of the anus with two small ones externally. 



Coloration. Head black above; sides bluish, body bronze with metallic reflec- 

 tions ; tail and extremities bronze above ; throat, abdomen, under part of extremi- 

 ties and tail greenish, mingled with yellow. 



Dimensions. Length of head 6 lines ; greatest breadth 3 ; length of neck and 

 body to vent 1 inch 5 lines ; tail 2 inch 11 lines; (mutilated) of arm 3; of fore- 

 arm 3 ; of head to extremity of longest finger 4 lines , of thigh 4 lines ; of leg 4 ; 

 of sole to extremity «f longest toe 6. 



Habitat. Gaboon contry, W. Africa, one specimen in Mus. Acad, presented by 

 Dr. Henry A. Ford. 



Gen. Remarks. This is the first time that the genus Tachydromus has been 

 recognized to exist on the African continent, sexlineatus being found in China, 

 Cochin China and Java ; and Japonicus in Japan. This genus is also found in 



[Feb. 



