ON A NEW BLIND SNAKE FROM LIFU, LOYALTY ISLANDS. 



By G. a. BOULENGER, F.R.S. 



With figures in the text. 



In his excellent " Catalogue des Reptiles de la Nouvelle Cal^donie," published in 

 the Memoirs of the Linnean Society of Normandy, vol. xv. 1869, A. Bavay mentions 

 the common occurrence of a small Boid Snake, Enygrus Bibronii (now identified as 

 E. australis, Montrouzier) on Lifu at the point called Gatcha; and he observes that 

 it is the only terrestrial Snake found on that island, whilst none but marine forms 

 (HydropJiiuue) are known to occur in New Caledonia. Although, through one of those 

 absurd blunders which so frequently spoil the work of compilers, a poisonous land 

 Snake has appeared on lists of New Caledonian Reptiles', only Hydrophiines have to 

 the present day been seen in that archipelago. It is therefore very interesting now 

 to find the fauna of Lifu enriched by the discovery of a second land Snake. This 

 discovery we owe to Dr Willey, who brought home from that island a single specimen 

 of a Typhlops belonging to an undescribed species which it gives me great pleasure 

 to name 



Typhlops Willeyi. 



Diagnosis: Snout depressed, rounded, subacuminate, .strongly projecting; nostril 

 lateral, between two nasals, the anterior of which is in contact with the first and 

 second labials; nostril one-third the width of the head, not extending to the level of 

 the eyes ; praeocular present, much broader than the ocular, in contact with the second 

 and third labials; eyes distinct; prsefrontal, frontal, and interparietal not larger than 

 the scales on the body, supraocular a little larger, parietal twice as large; four upper 

 labials, third and fourth nearly equal and in contact with the ocular. Diameter of 

 body 32 times in the total length ; tail as long as broad, ending in a small spine. 

 22 scales round the body. Olive-brown above, yellowish beneath. 



Total length I'J.J millimetres. 



' See Trouessart, Hull. Sue. Zool. Francv, xxiii. 1898, p. 186. 



w. V. 80 



