Cope.] *^^U [April 17, 



L^MANCTUS SERRATUS Cope. Jicaltepec. 



Cnemidophorus sexlineatus L. Matamoros. 



Cnemidophorus communis Cope. Matamoros. 



Cnemidophoris dndulatus "Wiegrn. Jicaltepec. 



Gerrhonotus liocephalus Wiegm. Teziutlan. 



Barissia imbricata Wiegm. ? Loc. 



EuMECES FURCiROSTRis Cope. Jalapa. 



Anelytropsis papillosus Cope, gen. et sp. nov. Anelytropidarum. 



The present form is essentially interesting as introducing for the first 

 time to the "Western continent, the family of the Anelytropidae, or the 

 Typhlophthalm lizards with the eye entirely concealed, and with the 

 tongue scaly. The importance of this discovery is considerable, as it 

 shows that the scincoid lizards have undergone in the New World the same 

 degenerative process as in the Old World, and in the same way. This is 

 a new fact, even supposing that the Aniellidse of America are a degenerate 

 form of the same family, which is not probable. Dr. Boulenger believes* 

 that that family is a degenerate type of the Anguid stem ; a view in which 

 I suspect he is correct. Anelytropsis is a degree further down in the scale 

 than Aniella, in having the epidermis absolutely continuous over the eye, 

 as in other members of the family of Anelytropidae, and as in the Typh- 

 lopid family of snakes. As in other forms of this character, the life of this 

 type is doubtless subterranean, which accounts for its having so long 

 escaped observation. 



Pending the time when I shall be able to make an osteological study of 

 this genus, I give its external characters, as follows : 



Char. gen. Rostral plate capping muzzle, the nostril at the junction of 

 its posterior border with the suture separating the loreal and first labial. 

 No frontonasal nor supraorbital plates. Three plates on top of head, 

 which should probably be identified as anterior and posterior frontal and 

 parietal. Eye scarcely visible through the single ocular plate. Scales 

 equal, smooth. Vent not terminal. No limbs. No preanal pores. 



This genus only differs from Feylinia Gray (= Anely trops Hallow), in the 

 arrangement of the lateral plates of the muzzle. In that genus and Typh- 

 losaurus, the only other genus of the family, the rostral plate is as in 

 Acontias ; i. e., divided longitudinally on each side by a fissure which ex- 

 tends from the nostril posteriorly. Whether the internal characters differ 

 remains to be ascertained f. I give the genus the name Anelytropsis in 

 order to justify the family name Anelytropidae. This will produce no 

 confusion, as the name Anelytrops was given by Hallowell to the genus 

 which had previously been named Feylinia, and as a synonym disappears 

 from view. 



* Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 1885, p. 121. 



fl have given the skeletal characters of Feylinia and Typhlosaurus, Proceeds. 

 Acad. Philadelphia, 1864, p. 224. 



