EMOA. 263 



GEN. CHAR. Body elongated, subfusiform, more or less depressed, 

 covered with smooth, though substriated scales. The head is sub- 

 quadrangulo-pyramidal. A pair of supranasal plates. Parietals 

 united into one. Middle occipital sometimes combined with the 

 united parietals. A pair of postoccipitals. Maxillary teeth rather 

 short and subconical. Palate toothless. Lower eyelid with a trans- 

 parent disk. Auricular aperture denticulated or simple; tympanum 

 deeply seated. Limbs well developed ; palms and soles granular ; 

 fingers and toes five in number, compressed, unequal, clawed. Sub- 

 digital plates numerous and smooth. Tail elongated, tapering. 



SYN. Emoa, GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. November, 1857. 

 Emo, in the language of the natives of the Pacific Islands. 



OBSERV. In addition to the four species enumerated further on, 

 this genus will include several others, specimens of which are not 

 contained in the collection made by the Exploring Expedition ; they 

 are the following: 



1. EMOA CARTERETI. Eumeces carteretii, DUM. & BIBR. Erpet. gen. V, 1839, 651. 

 Malouya carteretii, GRAY, Catal. Lizz. Brit. Mus. 1845, 95. 



Loc. New Zealand. 



2. EMOA BATJDINI. Eumeces baudinii, DUM. & BIBR. Erpet. gen. V, 1839, 653. 

 Mabouya baudinii, GRAY, Catal. Lizz. Brit. Mus. 1845, 95. 



Loc. New Guinea. 



3. EMOA HIEROGLYPHICA. Lygosoma hieroylyphicum, HoMBR. & JACQ. Voy. au 

 Pole Sud et dans 1'Oceanie, PI. v, fig. 1. DUM. & A. DUM. Catal. meth. Kept. Mus. 

 d'hist. nat. ii, 1851, 166. 



Loc. Van Diemen's Land. 



Emoa baudini appears more closely related to E. cyanura than to 

 any of the other species, inasmuch as the middle occipital plate is 

 combined with the united parietals. 



Emoa Jiierocjlypliica exhibits characters intermediate between E. 

 samoensis and E. nigrita. 



One feature is striking : in all the species of this genus, there is a 

 proclivity on the part of the parietals to unite into one plate, and also 

 to combine with the odd or middle occipital. 



And then again, the genus is exclusively pelagic : all the species 

 belonging to the various islands of the Pacific Ocean. 



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