OLIGOSOMA NOCTUUM. 249 



2. OLIGOSOMA NOCTUUM, Grd. 



SPEC. CHAR. Body rather depressed, covered with twenty-six longi- 

 tudinal series of scales. Snout subconical. Vertex plate spear- 

 shaped, pointing posteriorly. Auricular aperture large and simple. 

 Middle preanal scales largest. Bronzed, with a vertebral yellow 

 streak, and two dorsal series of closely approximated black spots, 

 and a lateral band of the same color, extending on the sides of the 

 tail. Jaws transversely fasciated with deep brown. Belly fulvous. 



SYN. Scincus noctua, LESS. Zool. Voy. Coq. II, i, 1830, 48, PI. in, fig. 4. 

 Oligosoma noctuum, GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. November, 1857. 



OBSERT. This species, though intimately allied to the preceding 

 one, is easily distinguished from it by its larger scales, more elongated 

 head, and pointed snout, more elongated and more slender vertex 

 plate, larger auricular aperture, with its anterior edge simple, else not 

 provided interiorly with erect scales. It appears also to be of lesser 

 dimensions, for we have examined series of individuals of both species, 

 all leading to that belief. 



'- 



DESCR. The body is broader than deep. The tail, depressed at 

 the base, subconical and tapering posteriorly, being somewhat longer 

 than the body and head combined ; the limbs having the same deve- 

 lopment as in 0. zelandkum. The head is small and slender, tapering 

 towards the snout, which is subconical. The rostral plate is elevated, 

 convex, hemidiscoid. The nasals, subquadrangular or trapezoid, are 

 lateral and widely separated. The prefrontal, subrhomboid, is narrow- 

 ing anteriorly, and nearly as broad upon its middle as long. The post- 

 frontals, small, are wide apart : hence, the prefrontal is contiguous 

 anteriorly to the rostral and posteriorly to the vertex plate. The 

 latter is very much elongated, spear-shaped, very much pointed poste- 

 riorly. The parietals are slender, anteriorly narrow and tapering, 

 posteriorly rounded and broadest. The middle occipital is elongated 

 and spear-shaped also, extending almost to the posterior edge of the 

 latero-occipital plates, which are the largest of the cephalic set. The 

 post-occipitals are scarcely to be distinguished from the adjoining scales. 

 The temporal and loral regions present the same aspect in their shields 



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