SNAKES AND LIZAEDS FROM QUEENSLAND AND N. T.— LONGMAN. 49 



no doubt that De Vis' species was a Lygosoma (SiapJws) sciitirostrum, Peters. 

 /Several examples of this skink were recently collected by the writer at Toowooniba, 

 being partly buried in the humus under logs.^ The deep yellowish colour of the 

 ventral surface, which is very noticeable in life, generally disappears in specimens 

 preserved in formalin. The species is recorded by Boulenger in the British 

 Museum Catalogue, iii, p. 330. 



LYGOSOMA BANCROFTI, sp. nov. 



From the Upper DaAvson River district we recently received, through 

 Dr. T. L. Bancroft, a skink which is of considerable interest because it illustrates 

 another intermediate stage of limb degeneration hV^tlle Lygosoma vcrreauxii, 

 truncatum, frontalis, ophioscincus group. 



Body elongate and resembling that of L. verreauxii. Anterior limbs 

 didactyle; posterior undivided and very minute, only projecting about a milli- 

 metre, ilead much as in L. verreauxii, but prefrontals larger and frontal 

 subhexagonal with antero-lateral sutures almost as long as postero-lateral sutures. 

 Lower eyelid scaly. Ears hidden. Twenty scales around the middle of the body ; 

 dorsals slightly larger. A pair of enlarged preanals. Tail (apparently 

 undamaged) shorter and thinner than body. Silver grey above, many of the 

 scales having a dark spot in the centre ; whitish below. There is no trace of the 

 white (rarely orange) nuchal band which is so characteristic oi.L. verreauxii. 



Total length 185 mm. ; tail 50 ; fore-limb 3-5 ; body diam. 7. 



Reg. No. Q.M. J 15/2560. 



As it was desirable to note the range of variation in L. verreauxii, a 

 series of over sixty specimens of that common skink was examined. Considering 

 the dactylic variation which has been noted in this genus by Boulenger and 

 others, it is surprising to find that in every case, except where the limbs were 

 obviously broken, three digits were present. The digits are, however, more 

 prominent in verreauxii than in hancrofti, and the hind limbs are relatively 

 longer. Although there is considerable variation in the shape of the frontal in 

 this large series, the antero-lateral sutures .between it and the prefrontals are 

 relatively distinctly less than in L. tancrofti. The didactyle fore and the 

 minute hind limbs, together with the shape of the frontal and the absence of a 

 nuchal collar, easily distinguish this new species from verreauxii. 



Although the limbs are so degenerate, they are still of considerable use to 

 these skinks. When a living L. verreauxii is placed on the ground, the stumps 

 are moved with remarkable speed and vigour in the endeavour to promote 

 locomotion over a comparatively smooth surface. It is perhaps worth recording 

 that in the tiny pelvic girdle of this skink, all three elements (ilium, ischium, 

 and pubis) are present on each side in a specimen examined. 



Anomalopus lentiginosus, De Vis,^^ described as with fore-limbs didactyle 

 and with a white nuchal collar, is recorded by Boulenger as a synonym of 

 L. verreauxii fZool. Rec, 1888). 



LYGOSOMA TRUNCATUM, Peters. 



A specimen which agrees well with Peters' description was found at 

 Moreton Island last April by Mr. R. W, McMillan and donated to the Queensland 

 Museum. This rare lizard is 90 mm. in length and nearly 4 mm. in diameter. 



"Proc. Lin. Soc. N.S.W. (2), ii, 1888, p. 823. 

 D 



