224 



BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



concealed, only the extreme point being visible) ; tail cylindric, taper- 

 ing to a point ; the caudal scales alcove with four decreasing posteriorly 

 to two keels, no transversely enlarged plates underneath. Color (in 

 alcohol) above pale brown, with a series of narrow elongate dark 

 spots on each of the two median scale rows; a dark brown band from 

 nostril through eye, high above the ear-opening and along the upper 

 part of the sides, disappearing on the sides of the tail ; top of head 

 irregularly spotted with dark brown, with larger spots of similar color 

 on upper and lower labials; whole inider surface whitish. 



Dimensions. 



mm. 



Total length 98 



Snout to vent 52 



Vent to tip of tail 46 



Snout to ear-opening 7.5 



Greatest width of head G 



Axilla to groin 30 



Fore leg 9 



Hind leg 14' 



Variation. — The most noteworthy variation seems to be the pres- 

 ence or absence of a suture dividing the frontal into two distinct 

 shields. In Ilallowell's specimen as well as in that described by 

 Boulenger and one in our museum (U.S.N.M. No. 36526) the suture is 

 present, while in the other (No. 36527), as well as the one in Science 

 College Museum, Tokyo (No. 4), the suture is absent. It is conse- 

 <|uently not possible at the present to say which condition is the 

 normal one. Otherwise there is not much difference in the head- 

 shields of the specimens before me, except that in No. 36526 the parietals 

 fail to meet behind the interparietal. The size of the ear-opening is 

 variable, probably due to the state of preservation of the specimen. 

 Two of the specimens before me have 26 scale rows, and one 28 around 

 the body, while Boulenger gives 24 for his specimen, the same number 

 as recorded by Hallo well. 



Habitat. — Apparently confined to the middle and northern groups 

 of the Riu Kiu Archipelago, from both of which the Rodgers expedi- 

 tion brought home specimens which now are lost. Later collectors 

 have obtained it in Okinawa shinui. Curioush^ enough it has not been 

 recorded from the southern group. 



List of spcviincns (if Liji/osdiinis jxUophnriis. 



aSci. Coll. No. 36. 



6 Description, p. 223, figs. 193-195. 



