new Lizards from Australia. 65 



mm. 



Total length 57 



Head 7 



Width of head 4 



Body 23 



Fore limb 7 



Hind limb 10 



Tail (reproduced) 27 



A single specimen from One Tree Hill, near Brisbane. 



This very distinct species is easily distinguished by the 

 number of digits, all other Australasian and Malayan species 

 of the section Siaphos having either five or three digits to 

 both limbs. Among the African species* the digits are 

 either 5 + 5 all well developed, 5 + 5 with the pollex rudi- 

 mentary or clawless, 4 + 4, or 4 + 3. This is the first- 

 discovered species with digits 4 + 5. 



Both this and the following lizard are good examples of 

 the fallacy, fiom the point of view of natural relationships, 

 of basing genera on the number of digits in the family 

 Scincidaa. 



Lyfjosoma peronii, var. tridactylum. 



Body much elongate ; limbs very weak, tridactyle ; the 

 distance between the end of the snout and the fore limb is 

 contained twice to twice and one-third in the distance between 

 axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with 

 an undivided transparent disk. 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 the frontoparietals, as large as or a little smaller than 

 the interparietal, in contact with the first and second supra- 

 oculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; seven supia- 

 ciliaries ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; 

 three pairs of nuchals ; fifth upper labial below the centre of 

 the eye, from which it is separated by a series of subocular?. 

 Ear covered with scales, indicated by a depression. 18 or 20 

 smooth scales round the middle of the body, dorsals largest. 

 A pair of enlarged prseanals. The length of the hind limb 

 equals the distance between the centre of the eye and the 

 fore limb ; third toe considerably longer than second. Tail 

 thick, nearly once and a half the length of head and body. 

 Bronzy brown above, most of the scales with a dark brown 

 dot ; a black dorso-lateral line ; sides grey, speckled with 

 black; lower parts whitish, spotted with black. 



* Cf. Boulenger, Tr. Zool. Soc. xix. 1909, p. 243. 

 Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. xvi. 5 



