CATALOGUE OF SHIELD REPTILES. 



35 



* Head depressed, broad; occiput covered with square 

 shields liki the body ; preanal plates numerous. 



1. Amphisbaena alba. B.M. 



Body thick, one-coloured, with only one pair of plates 

 behind the frontal plates. Occiput shielded like the body. 



Amphisbaena alba, Linn. Mus. Adolph. p. 26, t. 4. f. 2. 



Bum. Sf Bibr. E. G. v. p. 484. 



Gray, Cat. Tort, cj-e. 1844, p. 70 ; P. Z. S. 1865, 

 p.' 447. 

 Amphisba?na rosea, Shaw, Nat. Misc. iii. t. 

 Amphisbaena pachyura, Wolf, Abbild. ii. p. 01, t. 17. 

 Amphisbaena flavescens, Neuwied, Abild. t. 



Wagler, Icon. t. 16. f. 1. 



Schinz, Amph. p. 121), t. 46. 

 Le Blanchet, Laccp. Q. 0. ii. t. 21. f. 



Hab. Brazil. 



Preanal pores vary from six to eight, and the plates in 

 front of the cloaca vary in size. 



Varies in the size and form of the hinder pair of frontal 

 plates ; preanal pores eight, often seven. 



There is a specimen in the British Museum sent by Mr. 

 Brandt under the name of A. Baruiinii. 



2. Amphisbaena americana. B.M. 



Body rather thick, black, and varied. Two or more 

 pairs of plates behind the frontal plates. 



Amphisbaena americana, Scheuch. P. S. iv. p. 1179, t. 1129. 

 f. D, t. 1249. f. 10. 



Seba, Thes. i. t. 18. f. 3, t. 22. f. 2, 3, t. 73. f. 4, 



t. 100. f. 3. 

 Gray, Cat. 1844, p. 70 ; P. Z. S. 1865, p. 447. 

 Gervais, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1S54, xx. t. 14. f. 1-4 (skull). 

 Amphisbaena fuliginosa, Linn. L. S. i. p. 392. 

 Bawd. Rept. t. 91. f. 2. 

 Bum. Sf Bibr. E. G. v. p. 480. 

 Amphisbaena vulgaris, A. varia, A. magnifica, et A. flava, 

 Law. Syn. pp. 119-122. 

 Guerin, Icon. t. 18. f. 1. 

 La Enfume'e, Laccp. Q. 0. ii. p. 459. 



Hab. Tropical America: British Guiana, Berbice, De- 

 merara (B. M.). 



The labial shields vary in number and shape : the shields 

 behind the frontal vary in number and size, but they are 

 generally in pairs and subsymmetrical. 



Gervais figures the skull of the species (Ann. Sci. Nat. 

 1854, xx. t. 14. f. 4). 



3. Amphisbaena camura. 



Body thick, short. Tail short, obtuse, with sixteen rings. 

 Preanal plates ten, longer than broad ; preanal pores four. 



Muzzle abruptly contracted, short, higher than broad> 

 swollen, arched in profile. Rostral plate five-sided. Naso- 

 rostrals nearly transversely parallelogrammic ; fronto-naso- 

 rostrals nearly as broad as long. Occipitals rounded an- 

 teriorly and posteriorly. Labials four, three high. Eye 

 in the superior angle of the ocular, which is acute anteriorly 

 and bounded behind by three segments of the first annulus. 

 Mental plate nearly as broad as long. Length of head and 

 body 15 inches, of tail 2 inches 6 lines. Head and upper 

 parts of body and tail brown, below and a broad collar 

 yellow. 



Amphisbaena camura, Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 

 L865, p. 350. 



ILab. Paraguay. 



Nearly allied to A. angustifrons, Buenos Ayres. The 

 head and plates arc relatively much shorter and more ob- 

 tuse ; there is one more labial ; the yellow collar is not 

 seen in the latter. 



4. Amphisbaena heterozonata. 



Each lateral scutellum finely punctulated with black. 

 Verticilli 170-180 ; 18 on the tail. 



Amphisbaena heterozonata, Barm. Reise d. La Plata, ii. 

 p. 527, 1861 ; Zool. lice. 1865, p. 149. 



Hab. Mendoza and Tucuman. 



** Head rounded, narrow ; preanal pores and preanal 

 shields ten or twelve. 



5. Amphisbaena petraei. 



Amphisbaena petraei, Bum. <J- Bibr. Erp. Gen. v. p. 487. 

 Gray, I. c. p. 80 ; P. Z. S. 1865, p. 447. 



Hab. Brazil (Mus. Paris). 



*** Head rounded, narrow, rather produced in front ; 

 crown-shields large; occipital shields polygonal. Body 

 slender, one-coloured ; preanal pores two or four ; pre- 

 anal plates sir, middle ones elongate. 



6. Amphisbaena vermicularis. 



B.M. 



Aniphisbrena vermicularis, Wagl. in Spiv, Bras. p. 73, 

 t. 25. f. 2. 



Bum. $ Bibr. Erp. Gen. v. p. 489. 

 Gray, I. c, p. 71 ; P. Z. S. 1865, p. 448. 

 //. nsel, Wiegm. Archiv, 1868, p. 339. 



Hab. Brazil(Z*r. Gardner,B.M., Mus. Paris) ; Porto Bello 

 (Capt. Austin, R.N., B.M. : head in a very bad state). 



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