NOTICE OF SOME NEW AND RARE SPECIES OF SCINCIDA. ies 
cS 
has no feet at all, and Dibamus which presents two short and flat appendices not divided 
into toes corresponding to the posterior extremities. 
Geographical Distribution. “The Scincks are distributed upon almost the whole surface 
of the globe, in cold as well as in the warmest climates. More species are found in Oce- 
anica and New Holland than elsewhere, but the other families of Saurians are much less 
numerous there than in other parts of the world. There is no genus of Scincidx pecu- 
liar to Europe. The genera Scincus, Sphenops, Amphiglossus, Liolepisma, Brachystopus, 
Scelotes, Acontias, Typhlinus are peculiar to Africa, and Tropidophorus, Champsodactylus, 
Brachymeles to Asia. Diploglossus, Ophiodes, Gymnopthalmus are exclusively American, 
and Tropidolepisma, Cyclodus, Trackysaurus, Heteropus, Tetradactylus, Hemiergis, Chelo- 
meles, Nessia, Evesia, Prepedites, Hysteropus, Liasis, Lerista, and Dibamus, belong ex- 
clusively to Polynesia. Euprepis is stated by Duméril’and Bibron to be common to Africa, 
Asia, America and Australia, and Eumeces to Asia, America, Australia, Polynesia ; 
Plestiodon to Africa, Asia and America, Lygosoma to Asia, America, and Polynesia, 
Seps, and Anguis to Europe and Africa, and Ablepharus, to Europe, Africa, Asia, 
Australia, America and Polynesia.” (See Duméril and Bibron, Erpeétologie générale, 
vol. v., pp. 545, 546, 547.) The entire number of species of Scincoid, or Lepidosaurian 
Lizards, is 100. Of these we have at present in the Academy of Natural Sciences but forty 
species, or one hundred and thirty-two individuals belonging to fifteen genera, being not 
quite one-half of the whole number; but we hope, through the zeal of our members and ex- 
changes abroad, that ere long the number will be greatly increased, if not be made complete. 
The Scincoid reptiles described in the following paper belong to the sub-genera Plestiodon, 
Eumeces, Euprepis, and Ablepharus. The first and third are provided with pterygoid teeth, 
the nostrils in all, opening in a single plate, which is not the case either in Scincus, or 
Gongylus, in the former between two, viz. the nasal, and the anterior supero-nasal, in the 
latter between the nasal and the rostral. Plestiodon, Humeces and Kuprepis have supero- 
nasals; Ablepharus is without them, which is also the case in other genera, as ‘Tropidole- 
pisma, Trachysaurus, and Cyclodus. 
SUB. GEN. EUMECES WIEGMANN. 
Char. “Nostrils opening in a single plate, the nasal, near its posterior border; two su- 
pero-nasals; palate without teeth, with a triangular notch, not deep, situated posteriorly ; 
scales smooth, D. & B., 12 sp. 
Humeces quadrilineatus. Tallowell. Proceed. A. N.S., vol. vii. p. 95, two specimens, 
one adult, and one young from Astoria, Columbia river, presented by Dr. Townsend. They 
VoL. x1.—10 
