186'5.] DR. J. E. <;kay on T^vo new lizards. 1.")S 



shields low ; temj)le covered with small scales ; eyes lateral ; lower eye- 

 lids scaly ; eyebrow covered with three large shields ; ears large, 

 oblong, erect, open ; tympanum rather sunk ; tongue slender, re- • 

 tractile (?); the apex deeply notched, acute. Body 'dej)ressed, with 

 a shght keel on each side of the belly. The back and upper part of 

 the neck covered with whorls of narrow elongated keeled scales, with 

 two series of smooth, oblong, transverse shields, one on each side of 

 the vertebral bones. The belly covered with cross series of square 

 smooth shields, placed in few longitudinal series. The throat and 

 neck covered with small rather corivex scales, and with a distinct 

 collar formed of a regular series of large half-ovate scales. The legs 

 rather dejiressed, covered with granular convex scales ; the front 

 legs with a series of broad smooth shields on the upper front side ; 

 the thighs with two (an upper and lower) series, and the hind legs 

 with an inferior series, of smooth broad shields, like those on the 

 front of the fore legs ; the hind feet slightly fringed on the inner 

 side ; toes 5 : 5, elongate, slender, unequal; claws acute. The femoral 

 pores small. Vent with a single half-oblong shield in front. Tail 

 depressed, with a fringe of compressed close scales on each side, the 

 sides covered with rings of small convex scales, and with two series 

 of small broad band-like shields on the upper and lower surface. 



Mr. Cope has pointed out to me that this genus agrees in many 

 particulars with the genus Placosoma of Fitzinger, MS-, described 

 b}^ VonTschudi in an article on the familv of Ecpleopoda (Arch, fur 

 Naturg. 1847, pp. 50 & 58). 



The scaling seems very similar ; but the body of Placosoma is not 

 said to be so depressed and fringed on the sides ; and the small part 

 of the tail that remains on the specimen described is not said to be 

 depressed and fringed on the side ; and I can hardly believe that 

 flerr von Tschudi would have overlooked such a peculiar form, and 

 therefore I believe they are different. 



Herr von Tschudi describes the scales on the upper surface of the 

 small part of the tail that remains, which is only 3 lines long, as small, 

 like those on the sides ; but in Dr. Smith's genus the upper surface 

 of the tail is covered with two rows of large shields, like the back. 



Placosoma cordylinum is described from a specimen in the Mu- 

 seum at Bonn, on the Rhine, collected by Dr. John Natterer in 

 North Brazil ; and it is probable that the Holaspis guentheri may 

 also be a Tropical-American form. 



Holaspis guentheri, A. Smith, MS. (PI. XX. fig. 1.) 



Bluish browYi (in spirits), with three bluish-white equidistant re- 

 gular lines down each side of the head, neck, and body, and a stripe 

 down the front of tlie fore leg. 



Hab. 1 



The specimen was purchased in Paris without any habitat affixed 

 to it. 



The tail has been reproduced, and the reproduced part is of the 

 normal form, fringed and toothed on the sides, but of a different, that 

 is to say, uniform dull leaden colour. 



