ventral segments. Snout-vent plus tail length ' ts characteristics suggest that it is a specimen of 

 is 314 plus 45 mm and midbody diameter 12 mm. of Leposternon m icrocephalum presumably taken from 

 Particularly the yellow head, the low number of the frontier region between Rio Grande do Sul and 

 body annul i, the high number of precloacal Corrientes (Argentina) (Gans, 1971). 

 pores, and the relatively short tail length of Leposternon boulenqeri Boettger, 1885 (Z.I.L. No. 

 this, now somewhat dried, specimen are in good 6656). This is the first of four names in this genus 

 agreement with those for the two previously re- described by Boettger and assigned to specimens de- 

 ported specimens, and the former differs mainly rived f rom"Paraguay. " The type is in good agreement 

 in the enlargement of the post-frontal head with the original description and the name belongs 

 segments, which are quite small in the third in the synonymy of Leposternon microcephalum (Gans, 

 specimen. 1 971 ) . 



Amphisbaena mertensi Strauch f 1881 (Z. I. L. No. Leposternon strauchi Boettger. I885 ( Z. I .L . No. 

 31l). The holotype actually has 23O body, 5 6655)] No specimen with this label was initially 

 lateral and 27 caudal annuli (as contrasted to found in the collection. However, there were two 

 the 231, 3, 32 in the original description). specimens labelled L. onychocephalum (Z.I.L. No. 6653) 

 All other meristic characters are in excellent with one of the labels in the new format using the 

 agreement with the original description. Rather Cyrillic alphabet. Since Boettger described only 

 than being only light brown dorsally and lighter one specimen of onychocephalum and the specimen with 

 ventrally, as stated by Strauch, this specimen the new lable agrees exactly with Boettger's des- 

 indeed shows the anterior half of each segment cription, it is assumed to be the holotype. The name 

 pigmented all around the trunk. The name clear- belongs in the synonymy of Leposternon m icrocephalum 

 ly belongs with the species to which it has been (Gans, 1971)' 

 assigned. Leposternon aff ine Boettger, 1885 (Z.I.L. No. 



Amphisbaena pretrei Dumeril and Bibron, 1839 6654). The holotype agrees well with Boettger's 

 (Z.I.L. Nos. 1197, 1199, 1200, 5563 from Bahia; description and the name belongs in the synonymy of 

 Nos. 1202, 1203, 5563 without data). Several Leposternon microcephalum (Gans, 197 1 ). 

 of these specimens appear to have the pigmenta- Leposternon onychocephalum Boettger, 1885 (Z.I.L. 

 tion more clearly expressed than those previous- No. 6653)* fh e holotype is in good agreement with 

 ly examined (Gans, 1965). The anterior part of the original description and the name belongs in the 

 the body has the individual segments markedly synonymy of Leposternon microcephalum (Gans, 1971/* 

 pigmented, while the zone lateral to the cloaca This or some of the other names here assigned to 

 shows each segment with a dark dot. Both are Lepostenon microcephalum might be resurrected if it 

 characteristics seen also in A. verm icular i s . should ever prove desirable to assign names to geo- 



Amph isbaena r idleyi Boulenger, I89O (Z.I.L. graphic races of Leposternon m icrocephalum . 

 No. 7856)» from Fernando Noronha, Brazil may be 



part of the original syntype series and hence a |_Please consult the original paper for 

 lectoparatype. It was exchanged with the Br i - the literature citations in the text. J 



tish Museum in I889. 



Amph isbaena s.. ste i ndachner i Strauch, 1881 

 (Z.I.L. No. 312). The lectoparatype bears only 

 the designation Brazil and is in exceedingly 

 rotten condition. As far as can be determined 

 the assignment is correct. 



Blanus s. strauchi Bedriaga, 1884 (Z.I.L. No. 

 5903)» The collection contains a single lec- 

 toparatype obtained from Bedriaga and in good 

 agreement with the original description. 



Blanus s. bedr iaqae Boulenger, 1884 (Z.I.L. No. 

 6679)' This syntype from "River Xantus, Asia 

 Minor" is in good agreement with the original 

 descript ion. 



Leposternon rostratum Strauch, 1881 (Z.I.L. 

 Nos. 314 and 315). The first of these two syn- 

 types collected in 1837 by Luschnath is here 

 named lectotype since Strauch indicated that it 

 formed the basis for the description. The head 

 scalation of the lectoparatype is considerably 

 more irregular. For reasons given in the revi- 

 sion of the genus (Gans, 1971/ the name belongs 

 in the synonymy of Leposternon i nf raorb i tale . 



Leposternon crassum Strauch, 1881 (Z. I.L. No. 

 3l6). The holotype from "Basilien" is in good 

 condition and its counts agree quite well with 

 those of the original description. Analysis of 

 the characteristics suggests that this is a very 

 large specimen of Leposternon microcephalum pro- 

 bably taken in the vicinity of the city of Rio 

 de Janeiro and it has hence been placed in the 

 synonymy of that species (Gans, I37I ) • 



Leposternon guenther i Strauch, 1881 (Z.I.L. 

 No. 313)' T" e holotype is in good condition and 



