416 TEHD-15. 



27. SCOLECOSAURUS. 



Bracliypus (non Swains.), Fitziny. X. Classif. Rept. p. 20 ; Wiegm. 



Herp. Mex. p. 12 ; Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 57. 

 Clialcis, part., WayJer, Syd. Amph. p. 196, 

 Chalcides, part., Ijum. S^- Bibr. v. p. 450. 



Tongue moderately elongate, arrow-headed. Teeth conical. Head 

 with large regular shields ; frontonasal separating the nasals ; prae- 

 frontals present ; no frontoparietals ; nostril pierced in the suture 

 between the nasal and the first labial. Eyes minute, eyelids de- 

 veloped. J^o ear-opening. Body and tail elongate, vermiform ; 

 limbs rudimentary, the hind pair as much developed as the front 

 pair, with four or three distinct, clawed digits. 8cales smooth, 

 forming regular anuuli, and also longitudinal series on the belly ; 

 the dorsals narrow, hexagonal, overlapping the ventrals, broader, 

 quadrangular, juxtaposed. A collar fold. Xo femoral or prjeanal 

 pores (■?). 



South America. 



1. Scolecosaurus cuvieri. 



Brachypus cuvieri, Gray, Cat. p. 57, 

 Brachypus cuviei'i, Fitz. I. c. p. 50. 

 Chaleis cuvieri, Wayl. I. c. 

 Chalcides cuvieri, Dum. Sf Bibr. p. 453. 



Upper head-shields : a pentagonal frontonasal, a pair of prae- 

 frontals forming a short suture, a frontal, as broad as long, seven- 

 sided, a pair of large parietals, a narrow quadrangular interjDarietal 

 of equal length, and four supraoculars. !Nasal twice as broad as 

 high ; a loreal, hall" the size of the latter ; an infraorbital, resting 

 on the third, fourth, and fifth labials ; seven temporals ; six upper 

 labials, posterior largest ; four lower labials ; mental very small ; 

 chin-shields, one anterior and three pairs, the first pair forming a 

 suture ; collar-shields slightly enlarged, six or eight. Twenty-eight 

 scales round the middle of the body, and forty from occiput to base 

 of tail ; ventrals longer than broad, forming six or eight longi- 

 tudinal and twenty-six or twenty-seven transverse series ; a pair of 

 enlarged pectoral shields. Praeanal shields four, median posterior 

 smallest. Digits four. Tail long, obtuse at the end, covered with 

 imbricate elongate hexagonal scales, the upper smooth, the lower 

 striated. Reddish brown, lighter beneath; a lighter, dark-edged 

 line along each side of the back. 



millira. millim. 



Total length 124 From end of snout 



Head 7 to vent 47 



Width of head .... 4-5 Fore limb 5 



From end of snout to Hind limb 6 



fore limb 14 Tail 



South America. 



/ I 



a-b. Adult. W. Indies (?). T. Bell, Esq. [P.]. 



c, d. Adult. S. America. 



