AND BATEACHIANS OF BAEBAEY. 121 



Fam. 4. VAEANID/E. 

 A single genus, confined to the Old "World and Australia. 



1. Varantjs, Merrem, 1820. 

 Neck much elongate. Dorsal scales roundish, juxtaposed, surrounded by rings of 

 minute granules ; ventral scales squarish, arranged in cross rows. No femoral pores. 



1. Vaeanus gkiseus, Daudin, 1802. 

 V. arenarius, Gervais, Guichenot. — V. scincus, Straucb. 



Teeth acute, compressed. Nostril an oblique slit near the eye. Scales of head 

 small, granular, subequal. Tail round or slightly compressed. Greyish yellow, some- 

 times with more or less distinct brown cross-bands on the back and tail, and brown 

 streaks along the sides of the neck. 



From snout to vent 56 centim., tail 71. 



Inhabits the Sahara, extending eastwards to the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, and 

 North-western India. Pretty common in the Algerian Sahara, and also found in the 

 Hodna district, in the south of the High Plateaux. Specimens were brought to 

 M. Lataste at Wargla, Laghouat, Bou-Saada, Biskra, Msila, and in Tunisia M. Lataste 

 obtained it at Tozeur, and M. Valery-Mayet at Majura. 



Figured in the ' Description de FEgypte,' Kept. pi. iii. fig. 2. 



Fam. 5. AMPHISB.SNID^. 



Worm-like Lizards, represented in this fauna by two genera : — 



Prseanal pores ; nostril pierced in the first labial 1. Blanus. 



No prseanal pores ; nostril in a separate nasal 2. Trogonophis. 



1. Blanus, Wagler, 1830. 

 Teeth anchylosed to the sides of the jaws. Nostril pierced in the first labial ; a 

 large frontal, forming a suture with the rostral. A well-marked lateral line ; a curved 

 postgular fold. No limbs. Tail pointed. Praeanal pores. 



1. Blanus cineeeus, Vandelli, 1797. 



Snout rounded, not at all projecting beyond the lower jaw. Four upper and four 

 lower labials; 110-125 annuli on the body and 20-22 on the tail; 4-6 prseanal pores. 

 Brownish flesh-colour, the segments of a more or less dark brown. 



Total length 250 milUm. 



This species occurs in Spain and Portugal and Morocco, where it has been obtained 

 at Tangier, Tetuan, and between Mogador and Morocco. From Algeria it is recorded 



