18/1.] DR. A. GtJNTHER ON THE SEPID^E. 243 



tail ; and the presence of the second specimen might be accounted 

 for by supposing that Sir A. Smith found it among his extensive col- 

 lection, after the publication of the Appendix, and placed it in the 

 same bottle with the typical example. 



The description itself answers well enough to our examples, except 

 in two points. The innermost toe is described as being rather longer 

 than the second ; and a minute circular ear-opening is mentioned. 

 Now in those examples (which have considerably suffered during the 

 long period of their preservation) no trace of an external ear-opening 

 can be found ; and I should have described the second toe as rather 

 longer than the innermost. Nevertheless, taking all the circumstances 

 into consideration, I am inclined to regard the tailless example as the 

 type of Sir A. Smith's description ; and 1 may add that the body is sur- 

 rounded by twenty-three longitudinal series of scales, and that there 

 are seventy scales in a longitudinal series between the fore limb and 

 vent. 



This species connects Scelotes with Seps. It may be referred to 

 the subgenus Heteromeles, on account of the indistinctness of the 

 ear-opening. 



Seps (Gongylus) viridantjs, Gravenhorst, Act. Nov. Ac. Caes. 

 Leopold, xxiii. p. 348. 



Head as in Gongylus ocellatus. Limbs much more feebly deve- 

 loped, with only four toes ; the anterior shorter than the head, the 

 posterior shorter than the distance of the fore-limb from the extremity 

 of the snout. Body surrounded by twenty-four longitudinal series 

 of scales ; there are seventy-five scales in a longitudinal series be- 

 tween the fore limbs and the vent. Ear a small round opening. 

 Upper parts brown, with an olive-coloured band, two scales broad, 

 on each side of the back. The brown median part on the back with 

 small white black-edged ocelli, arranged in two longitudinal series. 

 The ocelli are continued on the tail, but not the bands. Lower parts 

 white. 



Total length without tail (which is injured, and partly 



reproduced in all the specimens) 83 



Length of the head (to the ear-opening 9 



Length of the fore limb 7 



Length of the hind limb 15 



Length of the fourth hind toe 5 



Two specimens of this Lizard, said to have been brought from 

 North-western Africa, were received from the Zoological Society*. 

 Fortunately the British Museum possesses a third specimen, from 

 which more accurate information with regard to the habitat is ob- 

 tained. It was brought by R. M'Andrew, Esq., in the year 1852, 

 from Orotava, on the island of Ten eriffe, which locality is mentioned 

 also by Gravenhorst. 



This species is instructive in several respects. It is one of the 

 numerous instances which prove that modifications of a rudimentary 



* [They were purchased by the Society from a dealer along with specimens of 

 other North-African Eeptiles, June 15th, 1870 (see P. Z. S. 1870, p. 900).— 

 P. L. S.] 



