25. TTPHLAC0NTIA8. 429 



25. TYPHLACONTIAS. 



Tj'phlacontias, Bocaye, Jorn. Sc. Lish. iv. 1873, p. 213. 



Teeth conical. Palate toothless. Eyes exposed, without rudi- 

 ments of lids. No ear-opening. Nostril pierced in the largo 

 rostral shield, with the posterior border of which it is connected by 

 a slightly curved suture. Eody much elongate, limbless. 



South-west Africa. 



1. Typhlacontias punctatissimus. 

 Typhlacontias puuctatit-siiniis, liocage, I. c. 



Snout much projecting, with sharp horizontal edge. Rostral 

 and mental very large ; a band-like supranasal and a similar fronto- 

 nasal ; frontal nearly semicircular, posterior border straight ; inter- 

 parietal enormous, bordered on each side by a narrow parietal which 

 meets its fellow posteriori}' ; a subocular and two postoculars ; five 

 upper labials, first largest, second smallest, third below the eye. 

 18 longitudinal series of scales. A pair of enlarged praeanals. 

 Pale grey, a series of black dots along each series of scales, most 

 distinct on the sides ; sides of head marbled with brown ; an 

 arrow-headed brown, marking, pointing forwards, on the head, from 

 the centre of the rostral to the extremity of the interparietal. 



From snout to vent 83 millim., tail 28. 



Mossamedcs. 



The following genus is not sufficiently characterized to enter the 

 system : — 



Pygomeles, GrancUdier, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. xix. 1867, p. 234. 



" Prcepedito similis, sed auribus minimis ; corpore anguiforme ; 

 extremitatibus anterioribus nullis, posterioribus parvissimis, com- 

 pressis iudivisisque. Capite cuneato ; dentibus conicis ; palato 

 edentato ; lingua tota squamea, non transversim sulcata nee antice 

 emarginata, Squamis uon striatis." 



P. hraconnierl. 



" Supra argenteus, squamis dorsi laterumque puncto brunneo- 

 nigro ceutrali notatis, his punctis decern vel duodecim lineas longi- 

 tudiuales formantibus. Infra albus. Capite nigro maculato." 



Tullear, Madagascar. 



