Apodous Awphihian from India. 271 



As regards the connexion between tropical Africa and 

 tropical America, across the uud- Atlantic, the geological 

 evidence is of itself too fragmentary to be convincing, though 

 zoological testimony in its favour is steadily accumulating. 

 Further investigation is needed, and the lines on which it 

 n^iay be conducted have been fully discussed by Dr. A. E. 

 Ortmann in a most interesting paper upon " The Geographical 

 Distribution of Freshwater Decapods and its bearing upon 

 Ancient Geography/^ published in the 'Proceedings of the 

 American Philoso{)hical Society,^ vol. Ixi, no. 171, for 1902. 

 In that paper also copious references to zoo-geographical 

 literature are to be found. 



§1. Description of Hebfele Fulleri^ sp, n., from 

 Cachar in the Province of Assam. 



Herpele, Peters. 



Heiyele, Peters, MB. k. Akad. Berlin, (1879) 1880, p. 939; Boulenp-er, 

 Cat. Batr. Brit. Mus. 2bcI edit., 1882, p. IGO, and P. Z. S. 1895, 

 p. 409. 



"Squamosals in contact with parietals ; eyes over-roofed 

 by bone. Two series of teeth in the lower jaw. Tentacle 

 globular, surrounded by a ring-like groove, situated below 

 and posteriorly to the nostril. Cycloid scales inrbedded in 

 the skin.'' 



Herpele Fulleri^ sp. n. (PI. VII.) 



The snake-like or worm-like body gradually increases in 

 girth irom the base of the shark-like snout to a point near 

 the stump-like hinder end. 



The head is about .jj of the total length. The snout is 

 long and sharp and far overhangs the mouth. The nostril is 

 lateral, and a short way below and behind it (in a vertical 

 line with the symphysis of the lower jaw), and on a slight 

 eminence, is a minute globular circumvallate tentacle. 



The mouth-cleft is wide. The teeth of the upper jaw, 

 vomer, and palatine are small, recurved, and stand in a single 

 series; those of the lower jaw are in two series and are 

 larger. 



JSo traces of eyes are visible until the skin is removed, 

 when the minute eyes are seen lying beneath the bones of 

 the head. 



Behind the head the integument forms 101 rings, of which 

 those near the after end of the body are the narrowest. 



The epidermis is finely, profusely, and sharply areolated, 

 the areolae coriesponding with small dermal scales, which 

 are very plain when the epidermis is removed. 



