280 Transactions. — Zoology. 



and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid scaly. Nostril 

 pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than 

 long, forming a suture with the rostral and with the frontal ; 

 latter shield as long as frontoparietals and interparietal to- 

 gether, in contact with the two anterior supraoculars ; four 

 supra-oculars, second largest ; six to eight supraciliaries ; 

 frontoparietals distinct, longer than the interparietal; parietals 

 forming a suture behind the interparietal ; one or two pairs of 

 nuchals ; fourth or fifth upper labial below the centre of the 

 eye. Ear-opening oval, a little smaller than the eye-opening, 

 without projecting lobules ; twenty-eight or thirty smooth 

 scales round the middle of the body; laterals smallest. No 

 enlarged praeanals. The adpressed limbs fail to meet or just 

 meet. Digits subcylindrical ; subdigital lamellae smooth, 

 eighteen or twenty-two under the fourth toe. Tail thick, 

 little longer than head and body. Yellowish or reddish- 

 brown above, each scale with several fine darker lines ; sides 

 with dark-brown and yellowish markings ; a yellowish dark- 

 edged spot below the eye ; lower surfaces yellowish, uniform 

 or spotted with brown. 



" Total length, 129mm. ; head, 13mm. ; width of head, 

 10mm.; body, 51mm. ; fore-limb, 16mm. ; hind-limb, 20mni. ; 

 tail (reproduced), 60mm." Boulenger. 



In habit and coloration this lizard has a strong resem- 

 blance to Liolcpisma ceneum. 



Distribution. — The neighbourhood of Auckland. 



An enlarged palpebral scale, or small disk, is generally 

 present. Hutton. 



Art. XXII. — Notes on the Cicadas of New Zealand. 

 By A. T. Potter. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 6th July, 1896.] 



I HAVE had good opportunities of observing the habits of a 

 family of insects which numbers amongst its ranks some of 

 the greatest noise-producers of the whole class — I mean the 

 cicadas. I have so far had several species of these curious 

 and interesting Homoptera, from both the South Sea Islands 

 and this district, and have found that as soon as the sun 

 gets hot the bush resounds far and wide with their ear-split- 

 ting sounds, which are certainly more vigorous than pleasing. 

 Now, as is well known, these vocal powers, if I may call 

 them so, are confined to the males, which of itself is a highly- 



