1890.] HELODERMA SUSPECTUM. 231 



XIV. A BRIEF Synoptical Recapitulation of the more 

 Salient Morphological Characters of Heloderma 



SUSPECTUM, SELECTED FROM THE RESEARCHES SET FORTH 

 IN THE PRESENT MeMOIR. 



Herpetologists have long been familiar with those topographical 

 characters that are presented on the part of either H. horridum or 

 H. suspectum. Boconrt, in characterizing the group he created to 

 contain these reptiles', gave them tersely as follows :—" Parties 

 superieures du corps lierissecs de tuhercules semi-osseux, disposes 

 sur le troiic et sur la queue en series transversales tres-rapprochees 

 les unes des autres. Plaques ventrales plates et quadrilaterales. 

 Pas de plicature de la peau formant un siilon le long des flancs. 

 Dents maxiilaires appliquees sur le bord interne des maehoires et 

 creusees d'une rainure iongitudinale assez profonde. Langue non 

 retractile." 



And for the genus {Eeloderma) : — " Tete forte et epaisse. 

 Corps trapu. Membres et doigts courts, a peu pres de meme 

 longueur. Queue arrondie. Ventre protege par des plaques lisses, 

 quadrilaterales, ne formant que des series transversales. Des pau- 

 pieres. Une ouverture auriculaire. Pas de pores femoraux." 

 Essentially, these are the most available characters presented in the 

 form of H. suspectum, and by dissection the following, more deeply 

 situate, are brought to light : — 



Heloderma suspectum will probably be found to be an oviparous 



reptile. 



(1) And it has between the rami of its mandible a mandibularis 



muscle, 



(2) With all three pronator muscles present in its forearm. 



(3) With peculiar longitudinal cones of adipose tissue inter- 



calated with the muscles and the other structures of the 

 tail. 



(4) With large corpora adiposa. 



(5) With the horizontal membrane or the visceral layer of the 



peritoneum present and well developed. 



(6) With an anastomotic arrangement of the bile and hepatic 



ducts, and with the same having a peculiar connection with 

 the pancreas (?). 



(7) With a rather large, pear-shaped, thoroughly isolated spleen 

 present. 



(S) With a bilobed thyroid gland present and situated just above 

 the heart (?). 



(9) With the walls of the atria of the heart thin, and with 



those of the ventricle thick, while the cavity of the latter is 

 sniall and not divided. 



(10) With the anterior end of the trachea placed dorsad to the 

 base of the tongue. 



' Soiis-Famille — TRACHYDEKjft glyimiodonta. 



[8.0] 



