On a new Ajjodous Amphibian from India. 267 



marginal spot which is bordered by reddish coppery. Elytra 

 golden green, with a broad yellow vitta on each, with a 

 narrow dark cyaneous line between the yellow and the 

 suture. Abdomen co})pery, clothed with ashy pubescence at 

 the sides. $ . 



Long. 20 mm. 



Hub. Nyassa [TItelwall). 



Closely resembles C. lepida, Gory, but differs in being of a 

 lighter golden green. The tliorax is more finely punctured 

 at the sides. 



[To be continued.] 



XXX Vlir. — Descripfionof and Reflections upon a nem Species 

 of Apodous Amphibian from India. By A. AlcoCK, M.li., 

 LIj.D., F.R.S., Superintendent of the Indian Museum and 

 Professor of Zoology in the Medical College of Bengal. 



[riate VII.] 

 Contents. 



§ ] . The Question of tlio Cceciliidce, 



§ 2. llie Distribution of tlie Ca'ciUida compared with that of certtdn 



Suhlitforal Genera of Ilerniit-crabs. 

 § 3. The Distribution of the Cccciliidcc explicable on the Theory of 



a Tethyan Sea. 

 §4. Description of Ilerpele Fnlleri, sp. n., from Cachar in the 



I'rovince of Assam. 

 § 5. Table of the Cccvillidce. 



§ 1. The Question of the Cjeciliidju. 



The Apodous Amphibia (Cieciliidai) are of interest, not 

 oidy to the morphologisi, but also on account of their geogra- 

 phical distribution, for since these animals are specially 

 modified for a subterranean life, it is difficult to understand 

 how any of tlie ordinarily invoked modes of dispersal can 

 have operated upon them. 



Up to the year 1895, according to Boulenger (P. Z. S. 

 18U5, pp. 401— A14), -12 species of Caeilians were known — 

 namely, from tropical America 26, Irom tropical West 

 Africa (north of the Equator) 4, from East Africa 4, from 

 ISeychelles 3, from India and South-east Asia 5. 



Since the jmblication of Mr, Boulenger's paper 2 more 

 sp(cies have been described from tropical America and 1 each 

 Irom West and East Africa; and I have now to place on 



