157 



separated in the middle, the palatal notch extending anteri- 

 orly to a line connecting the centre of the eyes (fig. 6/); 

 pterygoids without teeth. Eyelids distinct, scaly; tympanum 

 distinct, deeply sunk. Nostril in the nasal, with a groove 

 behind; no supranasals; a series of shields between the eye 

 and the labials ; praefrontal well developed ; frontoparietals 

 and interparietal distinct. Limbs short, pentadactyle ; digits 

 roundish or slightly compressed, with undivided lamellae below. 



Distribution. Indo- Australian Archipelago; Australia. 



A single species. 



i. Tiliqua gigas (Schn.). 



Scincus gigas^ Schneider, Hist. Amph. II 1801, p. 22. 

 Tiliqua gigas^ Boulenger, Cat. Liz. Ill 1887, p. 144 (s. syn.). 



Eyelids distinct, scaly; ear-opening about as large as the 

 eye-opening, with two or three large, obtuse lobules anteriorly. 

 Nostril in the na- 

 sal; no supranasals; 

 frontonasal in con- 

 tact with the ros- 

 tral ; praefrontals 

 forming a suture ; 

 frontal more long 

 than broad, as long 

 as the parietals, in 

 contact with the two 

 anterior supraocu- 

 lars ; four supra- 

 oculars, second lar- 

 gest; six to seven 

 supraciliaries ; fron- 

 toparietals distinct ; 

 interparietal as 

 broad as the parie- Fig _ ^ TUiqua g . gas (Schn ^ 



tals or narrower ; 



usually three anterior temporals, larger than the others; parietals 

 separated. Body stout, with 28 32 subequal scales round the 

 middle, dorsals usually keeled. Tail about as long as the body, 

 compressed; scales of the upper part keeled. Limbs short, 

 fore limb a little longer than the head, its length is contained 



