144- KKCOKDS OF THK AUSTI.'AMAN MISKIM. 



Uplit^r Liihial.i. — Tlii-()u»>-liout the Australian Museum series ot Xotechis 

 sriifatus there are never less than six upper labials, while an occasional 

 specimen may have seven, and invariably the third and fourth enter the 

 eye. Contrai-y to this, Notec/n's (tier has only live upper labials, and the 

 second and thii'd enter the eye. The tirst and second oi these shields are 

 CDniparatively laro;er than the coiTespondin>>' ones in N. ttcutafit^, the first 

 reaching back to the posteiior externiity of the nasal. All these shields 

 are very clearly defined on both sides of the head, and there is not the 

 slightest sign of any fusing or abnormality. 



Errors 'm, the uriijlnul (li'si-rif/tioii. — Kreftt states that the anterior 

 frontals are as laige again as the posterior ones (he was evidently 

 referring to the internasals and prefrontals), but the latter are twice as 

 lai'ge as the former, as his and my figures show, and not the reverse as 

 stated by him in his text. He also stated that there wei-e six upper labials 

 and only one narrow anterior temporal, but he undoubtedly mistook the 

 large, lower anterior temporal for a labial shield, as it actually foiins the 

 border of the upper lip for a short distance ; this distance, however, is a 

 little greater on the left'-^ than on the i-ight side of the head. If this 

 temporal be counted as a labial, there would be six upper labials as in X. 

 .•>ci(f((t,iit<, but this woiild leave only tlu'ee temporals, one narrow anterior 

 and two posteiior, and so under ordinary circumstances it could be counted 

 as an abnormality. In the present case whether it be regaided as a 

 ten)[)oral, or a labial, it has not so much bearing upon the lelationship of 

 N. 'iter to N. scufatiis, as have those outstanding chai'actei's alieady 

 referred to, that is, the second and third iipj)er labials entei' the eye, and 

 the upper postei'ioi- temporal is the lai-gest. 



l\e-ilescri].^tloii. from tJie type. — Eye longer than high ; as long as the 

 nasal, and as high as its distance from the mouth. Pupil round. Rostial 

 bioader tlum deep, the portion visible from above about half as long as 

 its distance from the frontal, intei'nasals once and one halt' times as 

 broad as deep at their deepest point, and about hall' the si/e of the 

 jireti'ontals which bend down over the sides of the snout Forming an 

 oblique suture with the nasal. Frontal a fraction longer than broad, 

 about twice as bioad as the supra-oculai's across their centre ; it is shorter 

 than the suture fonned by the parietals, and a little longer than its 

 distance from the posterioi- boi'der of the lostral. Paiietals nearly twice 

 as long as the frontal. Nasal enlii-e, in contact with the single preocular. 

 Nostiil oblique, not reaching t,o the edges of the nasal shield. Two post 

 <wulars ; temporals 2-|-2 ; of the anterior pair the upper is Imig and 

 narrow, the lower is the larger and it is wedged in between, and entirely 

 sepai-ates the fourth and fifth upper labials, leaching the lip. The upper 

 posteiioi' tempoi'al is the largest. Five nppei' labials, the second and 

 third entering the e^'e. Seven lower labials, and the first three aie in 

 contact with the antei'ior chin shield which is as long as the postei-ioi-. 

 Scales in 17 lows ; ventrals 168; nun] single; subcaudals 47, in a single 

 row. J'otal length (>50 mm., of which the tail measures 110 mm. 



-' .Side H'TVUHil. 



