separated from it; latter large, fused with the frontoparietals ; 

 five supraoculars, second largest, last smallest; five or six 

 supraciliaries ; parietals in contact; a pair of nuchals and a 

 pair of temporals. 20 28 scales round the body, smooth or 

 slightly striated, dorsals largest, the two median series often 

 transversely dilated. Tail longer than head and body. Limbs 

 strong, pentadactyle ; the hind limb reaches the axilla or nearly 

 so far; digits long and slender, with smooth lamellae below. 



Olive, brown or greenish above, with light and black longi- 

 tudinal lines. Length of head and body 43 mm. ; tail 62 mm. 



Habitat: Indo-Australian Archipelago; Australia; Poly- 

 nesia; tropical parts of America and Africa, S. Africa. 



With relation to the number of scales and the coloration, 

 the following subspecies may be distinguished. 



a. boutoni Desj. 



Scincus boutonii^ Desjardins, Ann. Sc. Nat. XXII 1831, p. 298. 



26 (24 or 28) scales round the body; fifth or sixth upper 

 labial below the eye. Olive above, spotted or marbled with 

 black, with an indistinct light lateral band. 



New Guinea (Aroma); Flores!. Mauritius. 



b. poecilopleurus Wiegm. 



Ablepharus poecilopleurus^ Wiegmann, Nova Acta Ac. Leop.-Carol. XVII 1835, 

 p. 202, pi. VIII fig. i. 



28 (26) scales round the body; fifth labial below the eye. 

 Brown or olive above, spotted or marbled with black, with a 

 light lateral band; limbs and sides light-dotted. 



New Guinea (Hula, Aroma). Sandwich Islands; Savage 

 Islands; Bahia. 



c. peroni Coct. 



Cryptoblepharis peronii^ Cocteau, Et. Seine, p. i. 



22 or 24 (26) scales round the body; fifth labial below the 

 eye. Brown or greenish above, with a light, greenish lateral 

 band, edged on both sides with black, the inner black line 

 broad, covering about half the vertebral series of scales; flanks 

 dark with light spots ; limbs and tail spotted with brown and 

 light. Lower parts greenish. 



Java; Timor; Samao; Timor Laut; Aru Islands; Buru; 



INDO-AUSTRALIAN REPTILES I. 1 8 



