REPORT ON A ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION FROM 

 BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 



The following Report deals with certain Reptiles, Batracliians, 

 Fishes, and Insects forwarded for identification to the Australian 

 Museum by Sir William Macgregor, K.C.M.G., Administrator 

 of British New Guinea, who had caused them to be collected in 

 the St. Joseph's River District ; this river flows into the Papuan 

 Gulf opposite to Yule Island, about eighty miles to the north-west 

 of Port Moresby, and is said to take its rise in the range which 

 culminates to the eastward in Mount Yule. 



Part I. 

 REPTILES, BATRACHIANS, AND FISHES. 



By J. Douglas Ogilby. 



This portion of the collection contained in all nineteen species, 

 belonging to twelve genera ; these are divided as follows : — one 

 Emydosaurian (Crocodilus) : six Lacertilians (Lialis 1, Gonyo- 

 cephalus 2, Lygosoma 'i): three Ophidians f'J/oi'e/ia 1, Bracliysoma 

 1, Acanthophis \ ) : one Batrachian (Hyla i) : and four genera of 

 Fishes (Eleotris 2, Salarias 1, Plotosus 1 : Syngnathus \). 



Unfortunately all the Fishes and two of the Batracliians were 

 too young to be recognizable. 



Full pai'ticulars are given below : — 



REPTILIA. 



EMYDOSAURIA. 



This Order is represented by a single young example of 

 C^'ocodihis porosus, Schn. 



LACERTILIA. 



The Lacertilian Reptiles are represented by six species, and 

 comprise a Lialis, two species of Gonyocephalus, and three of 

 Lygosoma. Of the correct identification of neither species of 

 Gonyocephalus am I absolutely certain, but I consider it preferable 

 to name them as below, those being the species to which indubitably 

 they are most nearly allied, than to risk a possible multiplication 

 of synonyms by describing them as new. In this uncertainty, 

 however, I have thought it advisable to describe both species in 

 detail, so as to aftbrd an opportunity to herpetologists of forming 

 their own opinion as to the identity, or otherwise, of the species 

 under consideration. The Skinks are also interesting, inasmuch 

 as it has been found necessary to describe one new species, while, 



