HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN, 193 



The incisor teeth on each side separate, a conical canine and eight tricuspid, the 

 first three the smallest, the last two the largest; the same number in the lower 

 jaw; ears concealed by the integument; body covered with scales arranged in trans- 

 verse rows; five fingers without serratures, the fourth finger a little the longest, all 

 armed with recurved nails; tail slender. 



Dimensions. Length of head 4 lines; of neck and l)ody 62 lines; of tail (mutilated) 

 10 lines,;- length of anterior extremities 6 lines; of posterior 



Habitat. Loo-Choo. One specimen. Caught Nov. 1854, by McKnight. 



In addition to HalloweH's description, I note that the scales on the 

 sides of the neck and body appear to be very small, almost granular. 



No lizard corresponding to the above description has been brought 

 from the Riu Kius by later travelers, and the possibility is, therefore, 

 that a most interesting novelty may yet be fomid in those islands. 



Family SCINCID^. 



Lizards with scaly tongue and lower surface covered with rounded) 

 imbricate scales. 



Distributed over all the warmer and temperate regions of the globe. 

 Many species have an enormous geograpliic range owing to the ease 

 with which they may be accidentally transported. 



Throughout the family there is a strong tendency toward the sup- 

 pression of the limbs, and although in the higher forms they are v/ell 

 developed, there are numerous genera in which they become rudi- 

 mentary or even disappear entirely. None of these occur in Japa- 

 nese or neighboring territory, all the species here represented belong- 

 ing to six genera, having the normal number of digits. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF SKINK.S UCCURRINO IN JAPAN AND ADJACENT TERRITORY. 



a^ Movalile lower eyelid; fronto-parietaLs and inlcrinvrietaly distinct. 

 ¥ Supranasals present. 



c' Palatine bones separated on the median line Etnncccs, p. 193. 



c"'- Palatine bones in contact on the median line Mabuya, p. 213. 



b" Supranasals absent. 



f' Fronto-parietals in contact; dorsals smooth or weakly l)icarinate; claws net 

 retractile. 



d\ Lower eyelid scaly Sphcnomorphus, p. 216. 



</■- Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent dit^k. . . .Lciolopisvia, j). 218. 

 c- Fronto-parietals not in contact; dorsals tricarinate; claws retractile. 



Lygosaunis, p. 221. 



a'^ No moval)le lower eyelid; fronto-parietals and intcriiarietal united into a single 



shield ■. Cryptoblepharus, p. 225. 



Genus EUMECES" Wiegmann. 



1834. Eumccfs Wiegmann, Herpet. Mex., p. 36 (type, Scinciis pavtnimfatiis = E. 



schneidcrii). 

 1839. Plestiodon Dumeril and Bibron, Erpet. Gen., V, p. ()97 (same tyix'j. 



« From svjiir}Kr/i, elongated. 

 26485— No. 58—07 13 



