NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. ]95 



prairies. Water seemed to be rather scarce, haviop met, during a journey of 

 sixty miles into the interior, but four streams : but the natives liave assured mi- 

 that at the bottoms of the hills in the midst of the groves there are a good many 

 brooks. So fur as I have been into the interior I found the country hilly : 1 

 did not meet with marshy ground but at a single place, and that marsh was 

 small. About fifty miles in the interior the prairies become smaller and woods 

 take their place. The country through which I passed was thinly populated: 

 the people have generally to stay on or near the Gaboon or Nazareth rivers or 

 their tributaries. This want of population would be a drawback to colonization, 

 as would also the want of a good harbor. The country near the Nazareth if. 

 better off in this respect." 



November 2i(h, 1857. 

 Vice President Bridges in the Chair. 



The Committees to -whom viere referred the following papers, reported 

 in favor of publication, "viz : 



'' Descriptions of seme new Reptiles, collected by the U. S. Explorinj: 

 Expedition under the command of Capt. C. Wilkes, U. S. N., by Chas. 

 Girard." 



"Notices of new genera and new species of marine and fresh-water 

 Fishes, from Western North America, by Chas. Girard." 



" Description of a new species of Cypselus, &c., by C B. R. Kennerly." 



The Committee on Col. Abert's " Description of a Mocking bird, 

 supposed to be new," was discharged at its own request. 



Descriptions of some new Eeptiles, collected by the TJnited States ExploiiEp 



Expedition, under the command of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U. S. K, 



FoBRxn Part. — Including the species of Saurians, exotic to North America. 



BY CHARLES GIRARD, M. D. 



SCINCID^. 



1. Cryptoblepuarus eximics. — Scales disposed upon twenty-four longitudinal 

 series, around the middle region of the body. Subcaudal scales equal or sub- 

 equal. Back greenish; two light lines, or streaks, on each side; beneath 

 unicolor. 



Locality. — Feejee islands. 



2. EupREPis VENusTus. — Body and head slender and depressed; tail subconi- 

 cal posteriorly. Forty-three to forty-five longitudinal series of scales. Pre- 

 frontal plate lozenge-shaped. External row of preanal scales larger than the 

 rest. Back chestnut brown ; a black streak from the eye to the base of the tail, 

 margined, superiorly, by a fuliginous line, extending from the supraciliary 

 regiOTi to the anterior third of the tail, and, inferiorly, by a yellow line from the 

 axilla to the groin; lower portion of the flanks yellow, speckled with black. 

 Throat whitish ; abdomen light brown, unicolor. 



Locality. — Cape de Verde islands. 



CYCLODINA, (nov. gen.) — Body elongated, slender, subquadrangular, depress- 

 ed, covered with large scales, striated under the epidermis. Head small, depress- 

 ed, anteriorly obtuse. Nostrils in one plate ; no supranasals ; a pair of pariet.als. 

 Maxillary teeth conical ; palate toothless. Tongue flat, scaly, nicked at the 

 extremity. Lower eye-lid scaly. Auricular apertures simple. Limbs four, 

 weak, far apart, five fingers and five toes, rather short, subcylindrical and 

 clawed, their inferior aspect transversally plated, smooth ; palms and soles 

 coarsely granular or subtubercular. Tail moderate. 



1857.] 



