Mr. J. A. Murray on an apparently new Scincus. 67 



remarks from Hanlej, '• Recent Shells/ and see no reason to 

 regard tlie species as anything else than an abnormal form of 

 spongiarum, Lam. 



19. VuheJla Hdjeliij Parreiss. 



Hob. Coast of New Holland {Martini). 



I know nothing of this species. From the description in 

 an incomplete monograph of Martini, and from a specimen in 

 the Brit. Mus. (labelled Hiirjeliij d'Essing, India), it would 

 seem not to differ from spomjiaruni^ Lam. 



VI IL — Description of an apparently new Species of Scincus 

 from Muscat. By James A. MuiiRAY, Curator of the 

 Kurrachee Museum. 



Scincus muscatensis. 



Snout rather long, longer than that of Scincus arenariuSj 

 Murray (Vert. Zool. Sind), the space between the eyes being 

 less than the length of the snout. Eostral spatulate, twice 

 as broad as high, rounded behind and in contact with the pre- 

 frontal ; supranasals separate ; nostril between the first labial, 

 the supra- and the postnasal, and the lateral angle of the 

 rostral ; two postnasals, the posterior larger ; one large pre- 

 ocular or loreal equalling the prefrontal in length, and forming 

 a suture with the hind edge of the second postnasal, the fourth 

 and fifth upper labials, the first superciliary, and a large shield 

 in front of the lower eyelid ; the latter five-sided and as broad 

 at the base as it is high ; upper labials eight or nine. Pre- 

 frontal six-sided, its front angles in contact with the supra- 

 nasals and rostral, its lateral angles in contact with the post- 

 nasals on each side, and the hind angles in contact with 

 the postfrontals. Postfrontals broadly in contact together, 

 rather rounded in front and subtriangular behind ; their 

 lateral angles are in contact on each side with the large pre- 

 ocular plate and the hind outer angles form a suture with two 

 thirds only (or the whole in some) of the first superciliary. 

 Vertical once and a half its greatest breadth, extending be- 

 hind as far as the outer edge of the fourth superciliary. 



Dorsal scales 18, reckoned from above the angle of the 

 abdomen ; 26 rows round the middle of the body. The fore 

 leg laid forward reaches the eye ; the hind leg laid forward 

 reaches the tips of the fingers. Two large preanal shields. 



Colours as in Scincus arenarius ; a mesial dark spot on each 

 scale edged on both sides with yellowish white, forming inter- 



5* 



