322 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



In. Lin. 



Total length 3 6 



Lengtla to vent 2 1 



" " axilla 11 



" " ear 52 



" " orbit 2 



" of hind limb 12-5 



" " foot 6 



Width of head at ears 5 



Color. — Above light gray, with a rose shade on the neck and nape. Five 

 pairs of irregular black annuli, one on each side the vertebral line, from rump 

 to nape. These are more or less broken, especially anteriorly. They are re- 

 placed by scattered linear spots on the top of the head. The arrangement 

 reminds one of that seen in the Felis u n c i a. Seven pairs of spots on the 

 upper surface of the tail form cross-bars. Labial plates brown edged ; be- 

 low everywhere delicate straw color. 



Habitat at Cape of Good Hope. No. 725, Mus. Comparative Zoology, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass. 



This interesting little Saurian is furnished with a large calcareous mass on 

 each side the neck behind the os quadratum, which gives its head an appear- 

 ance of length. It is no doubt an inhabitant of a sandy region, judging by 

 its color and the structure of its hind feet, which appear to be adapted for 

 excavating. It is no doubt allied to the Stenodactylus garrulusof Smith, 

 but differs in numerous respects from the description of the latter author. 



Letheobia pallida Cope, gen. et sp. nov Typhlopidarum. 



Char. gen. — This genus differs from Typhlops in the subdivision of its ocular 

 plate into two scales similar to those of the body ; the superciliary plate is 

 also undistinguishable from the latter. There appears to be no eyes. Supe- 

 rior labials three. 



This genus is between Typhlops and Helminthophis Peters, differing from 

 the latter in its erect nasal plate, with nostril on the superior suture. The 

 Onychocephalus c ae c u s Dum^ril, from Gaboon, appears to belong to this 

 genus ; the two species may be distinguished as follows : 

 Muzzle obtuse ; rostral very wide, largely in contact with the 



superciliary plates ; nasal large L. pallida. 



Muzzle transversely acute ; rostral not reaching to supercilia- 



ries ; nasal minute L. c ae c a . 



Char, specif. — iiostral subquadrate viewed from above, nearly as broad as 

 long, in contact nearly equally with three scales above the fronto-nasals, — 

 viz., the frontal and two superciliaries. Thesubocular a little larger than the 

 ocular ; behind these a series of seven scales from the rictus to the median 

 row, on each side. Preocular and fronto-nasal of equal width, the latter 

 sending a very narrow point to the second labial behind the wider nasal. 

 Nostril very near the rostral suture. Tail as long as width of head, acumi- 

 nate. Scales equal, in twenty-two longitudinal rows. Form quite slender. 

 Length 6 in. 3-5 lines ; diameter at middle 1-25 lines. Color pale flesh-color. 



Habitat. — Zanzibar. Presented by C. Cooke to the Essex Institute, Salem, 

 Mass. (Mus. 504.) It was taken from a well. Mus. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philada. 



Thrasops citrinus Cope, sp. nov. 



Body slender, compressed, tail short for the genus. Gastrosteges rounded 

 and elevated on the sides. Scales in seventeen rows, poreless, all strongly 

 keeled ; the median more lanceolate; the surface of all finely longitudinally 

 striate. Head quite distinct; muzzle not long, flat, truncate ; cantbus ros- 

 tralis straight, angulate, loresfplane. Supranasals a little longer than broad; 

 frontal elongate, not concave laterally, occipitals a little longer. Post-front- 

 als descending to labials, no loreal ; oculars 1 — 3. Superior labials nine, 



[Dec. 



