128 JOURNAL, NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY OF SMM. Vol. I. 



discovered by M. Mouhot in Cambodia during his travels in 1858-60. 



The first two were caught in the stone quarries at Sanam 

 Cheng (N. of Lopburi) but were so badly preserved as to be useless. 

 A third was sent me by Mr. Greene, the station-master at Lopburi, 

 having been caught in the station, and two more were shortly after- 

 wards dug up in a garden at Sam Kok. In July, at Chong Kae, 

 I caught four specimens alive, having found them beneath the stacks 

 of fire-wood in the station yard. I kept them for some time, until 

 one night a horde of ants invaded their cage ai:id devoured them. 



These lizards, as might be expected from the rudimentary 

 condition of their limbs, are chieflj^ subterranean in their habits. 

 They move about with a sinuous snake-like action, the fore-legs being 

 in frequent use, the hind ones not at all, but pressed closely back 

 along the sides of the body. In pushing their way about through 

 small cracks and crevices and in burrowing in the earth, the fore-limbs 

 also remain idle, and the creature becomes entirely snake-liko in its 

 movements. They can, however, be extremel}^ active, and elude 

 capture with great agility. 



Ln lepidosis ray specimens difi'ered in no way from the type 

 description, except in the number of scales round the body. This is 

 given in the Catalogue of Lizards in the British Museum as 30. In 

 mine they varied from 30 to 34. 



Their color a^so varied slightly and was ( in life ) as follows : — 

 Above, dark yellowish, thickly powdered with very dark brown, this 

 color often confluent and forming patches. In one of them these 

 patches were so extensive as to practically obscure the ground color. 

 Sides, with a dark &^\gQ to each scale, forming oblique lines upwards 

 and backwards. Below, pale yellow or yellowish white, speckled 

 irregularly with brown. In the only half-grown specimen I obtained* 

 the belly was of a uniform pale yellowish color. Labials, 1st excepted, 

 barred with yellow and brown alternatel}''. 



The drawing, by Mrs. Stephen Groves, is from a specimen in 

 which the tail had been reproduced. This appendage, therefore, is not 

 shown in its full length. Normally it is nearly the length of the head 

 and body. 



MALCOLM SMITH. 



May, 1914. 



