308 My. G. A. Boulenger on the Nyctisaura. 
XXX V.—Remarks on the Nyctisaura. 
By G. A. BOULENGER. 
AMPHICELIAN vertebree, distinct parietal bones, incomplete 
orbital ring, and absence of a parietal bar are the principal 
characters upon which the suborder Nyctisaura is based. 
Cope *, however, makes a restriction as to the former charac- 
ter, writing ‘ vertebrae usually amphiccelian ;” but in what 
forms the exception exists is not stated. So far as I know, 
proceelian vertebrae occur in three genera only, viz. Huble- 
pharis, Psilodactylus, and Coleonyx. No exception to the 
second character has been recorded; and I was not a little 
surprised to find that these very genera which so strikingly 
diftered in the structure of their vertebra, differed also from 
all other Geckos in having the parietal single, as in most 
Cionocrania proper. 
Now that undoubted Nyctisaura are known to present ex- 
ceptions to the two former characters, and as the absence of 
the orbital ring and temporal bar cannot be considered to 
distinguish them constantly from the Cionocrania (for the 
Varanide have the orbit incompletely surrounded, and the 
parietal bar is absent in the Helodermatide), there remains no 
character of sufficient importance to justify the suborder 
Nyctisaura ; therefore I believe that it has to be cancelled. 
But I propose to maintain the old definition of the group as 
diagnostic of the family Geckonide, and to refer the three 
aberrant genera mentioned above to a distinct family, which I 
name Eublepharide. In spite of their extraordimary geo- 
graphical distribution (Hublepharis is Indian, Coleonyx Cen- 
tral-American, and Ps¢lodactylus West-African), these three 
genera are very closely allied, not only in structure, but even 
in coloration. They all possess connivent movable eyelids. 
XXX VI.— Contributions to our Knowledge of the Spongida. 
By H. J. Carter, F.R.S. &e. 
[Plates XI., XII., XIII, & XIV.] 
My “Contributions” in this respect may appear incoherent, 
but this will be understood by the statement that they are 
compiled from notes, sketches, and specimens put aside for 
* Proc. Acad. Philad. 1864, p. 226. 
