AST) BATBACHIAN.S OF THE SOLOMOX ISLANDS. 4l 



length equals the distance between the eye and the ear-opening ; the latter is sub- 

 elliptical, slightly oblique, small, its vertical diameter equalling the horizontal diameter 

 of the transparent palpebral disk. 



The fore limb, stretched forwards, reaches halfway between the eye and the tip of 

 the snout ; in males the hind limb, stretched forwards, covers five sixths the distance 

 to axilla, while in females it covers only three fourths. The digits are moderately 

 elongate ; the fourth finger is slightly longer than the third, and the fifth slightly 

 shorter than the second ; the proportions of the toes, commencing with the shortest, 

 are : 1, 2, 5, 3, 4 ; the difference between the two last is small. A striking character 

 is the dilatation of the basal part of all the digits. Although a very slight dilatation 

 is observable in several other Scincoids, it never attains so strong a degree as in this 

 species (and apparently also in L. virens, Peters), where it is quite comparable to that 

 of the group of AnoUs known as Draconura. The two distal phalanges are narrow and 

 compressed, and form an angle with the dilated portion of the digit, as in Anolis or 

 Gymnodacfylus ; except on the first finger and the first and fifth toes, the compressed 

 part is shorter than the dilated. The latter bears inferiorly regular transverse, slightly 

 curved, convex lamellae, which number sixteen to eighteen on the fourth toe ; there are 

 seven lamellae under the compressed joint of the same. The soles are covered with 

 large round granules. 



The rostral is large, six-sided, forming a broad suture with the frontonasal, which is 

 pentagonal and nearly as large as one of the praefrontals ; the latter are pentagonal, in 

 contact mesially, the suture measuring less than half their greatest length ; the frontal 

 is four-sided, much longer than broad, the anterior sides forming an open angle, the 

 posterior a very acute angle, with the point slightly rounded off; the suture between 

 the frontoparietals measures at least half the length of the frontal ; the interparietal 

 has the same shape as the frontal, but is smaller ; the parietals are moderately large 

 and form a short suture behind the interparietal. The supraocular plates number five ; 

 the anterior is much the largest, triangular, with the anterior angle sometimes cut off; 

 the others are band-like, the posterior smallest ; supraciliaries number eight or nine. 

 The nostril is pierced in the centre of the four-sided nasal, which is entirely lateral, 

 and is followed by three loreals, the first or the median being the largest. Three or 

 four large shields cover the temple, and four small scales form a slight denticulation 

 in front of the ear. The upper labials number eight or nine, the sixth or the seventh 

 entering the orbit. The mental is as large as the rostral, and forms a broad suture 

 with the postmental ; the lower labials are narrow, numbering seven or eight, and in 

 contact with the chin-shields, of which there are four or five pairs. Behind the 

 parietals are four or five pairs of large transversely dilated nuchal scales. 



The scales of the body are all perfectly smooth, largest on the back, very small on 

 the sides ; the scales of the two median dorsal series much the largest, twice as broad 

 as long ; the scales number sixty-five on the dorsal line, counted from the parietal 



