DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SCINCOID LIZARD FROM EAST AFRICA. 



BY 



Leonhard Stejneger. 



Curator of the Department of Reptiles and Batrachians . 

 Lygosoma kilimensis, sp. nov. 



DiAaNOSis: Limbs peutadactyl, short, distance between them when 

 adpressed to side of body more than length of hind limb, the latter being 

 much less than half as long as its distance from the axilla; distance 

 from snout to fore limbs contained more than twice in the distance 

 between axilla and groin ; lower eyelid scaly ; ear-opening an oblique 

 slit, much larger than nostril ; no supranasals ; rostral forming a broad 

 suture with frontonasal; prefrontals small and widely separated; frontal 

 not broader than supraocular region; two frontoparietals; parietals 

 forming a suture behind the interparietal ; 2J: scales round the body; 

 toes not compressed; fourth toe longer than third; 13 to 15 lamellse 

 under fourth toe. 



Habitat : Kilima-njaro, East Africa. 



Ty^e\ U. S. National Museum, No. 16749. Dr. W. L. Abbott coll., 

 1889. 



Description of type specimen. — Body much elongate; limbs very weak . 

 the distance beween the end of the snout and the fore limb is contained 

 twice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin; snout very 

 short, obtuse; lower eyelid scaly; rostral wide, low, its posterior outline, 

 as seen from above, straight; nostril pierced in the nasal ; no sujiranasal; 

 frontonasal more than twice as wide as long, forming sutures anteriorly 

 with the rostral and posteriorly with the frontal, the width of each 

 suture being greater than the length of the frontonasal ; ])refrontals 

 small, widely separated ; frontal short, as long as the frontoparietals, 

 in contact with first and second supraoculars ; five supraoculars; seven 

 superciliaries; frontoparietals two, each larger than interparietal; parie- 

 tals forming a suture behind interparietals; two pairs of nuchals ; supra- 

 labials separated from orbit by a row of small scales, fourth suprala- 

 bial being directly under the center of the eye ; ear-opening narrow, 

 oval, only slightly oblique to line of commissure; 24 smooth subequal 

 scales round middle of body ; one pair of somewhat enlarged auals, 

 adjoining scales only slightly larger than rest; digits short, cylindric, 

 terminal scale rather large, vaulted nail-like, nearly concealing the claw; 



riorceilinjrs National Mnsenra, Vol. XIV— No. 862. 



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