(i66 MU. H. SEEBOHM ON THE FIJIAN [DcC. 2, 



diversity. The Rhynchocephalians appear to lose the pterygoid 

 teeth first, the vomerine next. In the Squamata, the predominating 

 Reptilian type at the present period, vomerine teeth are known in 

 but a single genus (Opkisaurus) of the family AnguidcB, vehich has 

 in addition yialatine and pterygoid teeth ; and in these Squamata 

 we see that the rule in the suborder Lacertilia is to lose the teeth 

 from front to back, and in the suborder Ophidia from back to front. 

 Thus, there are but two genera of Lizards with palatine teeth, and 

 they are also armed with teeth on the pterygoids ; and the few 

 genera of Snakes in which the teeth are restricted to one of the two 

 bones have them invariably on the palatines. 



I have attempted to record in the table (see p. 665) what is at 

 present known of the distribution of the teeth on the palates of the 

 Reptiles and Batrachians. An asterisk after a generic name indicates 

 that the character is not constant throughout the genus. 



3. On the Fijian Species of the Genus Merula. 

 By Henry Seebohm. 



[Eeceived November 29, 1890.] 



The four largest islands of the Fiji group each contain a species 

 of Merula, which appears to be distinct from those found on the 

 other three. Of these four species three are well known, but the 

 fourth appears to be undescribed. The distribution of the four 

 species is as follows : — 



Merula vanuensis. Vanua-Levu. 



Merula layardi. Viti-Levu. 



Merula ruficeps. Kandavu. 



Merula tempesti. Taviuni. 



These four species differ from each other in many characters, of 

 which the following are the most useful for diagnostic purposes : — 

 (a) In some species the under tail-coverts are uniform in colour, in 

 others each under tail-covert has a conspicuous pale shaft-streak, 

 widest at the tip. (i) The upper parts below the nape are nearly 

 black in some species, and olive or brown in others, (e) Tlie throat 

 in one species is orange-buff, and in the others grey. These three 

 characters serve to diagnose the four species as follows : — 



Under tail-coverts uniform.-^ 



vanuensis. ~) 



I 



-, ,. /"Throat grey. 

 layardi. \ ° •' 



^ Back nearly black. 

 \_ ruficeps. J 



The male differs somewhat from the female in all the species, but 

 the characters given above are common to both sexes. 



