of short- legged Lygosoma , which were once considered a separate 

 section, and later an independent genus Homolepida (Boulenger , 1887 ; 

 de Rooij , 1915) . 



Among the Indonesian species of this group the new species 

 resembles the New Guinean Sphenomorphus unil ineatus de Rooij in 

 its general habitus and in some plastic characters. 



Range. The Island of Padar between the islands of Komodo 

 and Rintja in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago. Known only from the 

 terra typica. The three known specimens were obtained from the 

 depth of a forested canyon on the western shore of the island. 

 The lizards inhabited forest cover of fallen leaves under trees. 



SPHENOMORPHUS OXYCEPHALUS sp. n. (Figure 3) 



Diagnosis. Small short- legged lygosome skinks with wide ear 

 opening, 5 supraocular scutes, 24 rows of smooth scales around 

 midbody, 9 lamellae under fourth digit of hindlimb, slightly 

 enlarged preanals and distinct nuchal scutes, 



Holotype. Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences 

 of the USSR (Leningrad), No. 17598, Island of Rintja in the Lesser 

 Sunda Archipelago, 13 August 1962, I.S. Darevskii. 



Description. Head conical. Lower eyelid covered with scales. 

 Ear opening large, round, shorter than eye in diameter, without 

 scaly lobules. Nostril in nasal scute, supranasal absent, fronto- 

 nasal wider than long, in contact with rostral anteriorly. 

 Prefrontals in contact with each other anterior to frontal, latter 

 not longer than frontoparietals and interparietal together. Five 

 supraoculars, third largest and first very small; first three 

 suboculars in contact with frontal. Five supraci 1 iaries . Parietals 

 in contact with each other posterior to interparietal. Several 

 pairs of enlarged nuchals. Five supralabials , last 3 situated 

 underneath the eye. Orbit separated from supralabials by longi- 

 tudinal rows of scutes. Twenty-four rows of smooth scales around 

 midbody, the two rows passing along spine markedly widened, 

 especially in the area between head and forelimbs. Preanals 

 slightly enlarged. Limbs very short, do not meet when appressed 

 to sides of body, leaving a distance somewhat longer than head, 

 Hindlimbs much shorter than distance between tip of snout and 

 base of forelimbs. Distance between fore- and hindlimbs 1.7 times 

 the distance between tip of snout and base of forelimbs. Fourth 

 digit of hindlimb longer than third, with 9 subdigital lamellae. 



Brownish-grey color above with bronze tinge, Two light 

 stripes pass along sides of spine, starting from posterior 

 supraocular scute and disappearing at the base of tail. They 



3. 



