44 ME. G-. A. BOULENGBB ON THE BEPTILES 



shortest finger is the first, then come successively the fifth, the second, the third, and 

 the fourth, which, however, is only very slightly longer than the preceding ; the toes, 

 as regards length, form the following succession, beginning with the shortest : — first, 

 second, fifth, third, fourth. The lower surface of the digits is provided with a series of 

 transverse lamellae, which are straight under the basal phalanx and angularly curved 

 under the others ; twenty or twenty-one lamellae under the fourth toe. The soles are 

 granular. 



The tail is not much longer than the head and body, cylindrical, not very thick, and 

 of nearly the same diameter throughout to the extremity, which is obtuse. But the 

 most striking peculiarity is that this organ is prehensile, as distinctly shown by all 

 three specimens ; as far as I know, no other Scincoid possesses this character. 



The rostral is small, six-sided, nearly twice as broad as high, not visible from above. 

 The frontonasal is the largest head-shield ; it is seven-sided, and nearly as broad as 

 long ; a pair of short prsefrontals follow. The frontal is small, broader than long, sub- 

 hexagonal ; a pair of fronto-parietals of nearly the same size, or larger than, the frontal. 

 The interparietal is larger than the frontal, longer than broad, subquadrangular, 

 inequilateral, with truncate posterior angle. The parietals are scarcely longer than the 

 interparietal. The hinder part of the head is covered with several occipitals, the central 

 of which forms a suture with the interparietal ; two very large temporals, the upper being 

 the largest. There are five band-like supraoculars, the posterior being the smallest, 

 the second the broadest. The nostril is ovate, vertical, slightly oblique, and pierced in 

 the middle of a quadrangular lateral nasal ; two loreals follow. A series of five or six 

 infraorbitals separates the eye from the upper labials; of the latter there are six or 

 seven, the first smallest, the last much elongate. The mental is very small and four- 

 sided ; on each side are five or six infralabials ; the chin-shields are numerous and 

 irregular, and pass gradually into the scales of the gular region. 



The scales on the body are large, largest and slightly striated on the back ; thirty- 

 six or thirty-eight scales round the middle of the body, and forty-seven to fifty from the 

 occiput to the base of the tail. The scales on the upper surface of the limbs are about 

 the size of those on the flanks ; they are smaller on the lower surface. Eight slightly 

 enlarged scales border the anal cleft. The scales on the tail are as on the body, and 

 there is inferiorly a series of transversely dilated ones. 



The colour of the upper surfaces is either greenish white with irregular dark brown 

 cross bands, or olive-brown with lighter variegations, and with or without irregular 

 blackish spots. In one of the specimens the head is reddish brown above. The lower 

 surfaces are greenish white. 



The largest specimen measures : — 



Total length 645 millim. 



Head, to occiput 61 ,, 



Head, to ear-opening 59 „ 



