262 Transactions.— Zoology. 
reasons for believing they are devoid of it. I have also never heard any 
cry or sound,* though the ancient New Zealanders would flee in terror from 
this animal (or an allied species, N, elegans), saying they had sometimes 
heard its cry, which they called kata (= laugh), which they also greatly 
disliked and considered ominous. But, though I have often seen N. elegans 
on shrubs, ete., in travelling in former years, I never myself heard its cry; 
possibly, it may only emit a cry at certain seasons. I should also mention 
that these lizards have had many opportunities of uttering a cry, if, like 
many other animals, sudden pain would extort such from them. For, in 
spite of all one's care, sometimes one of them will get its toe or tip of tail 
slightly caught in replacing the glass, when it twingles and twirls sur- 
prisingly until it is released, when it runs and jumps wildly around its cage 
for a few seconds—no doubt from pain—but it never makes a ery nor opens 
its mouth. In this way one of the young ones got its tail hurt, during my 
absence from home in the summer, and, although apparently it was only 
bruised, about 8-9 lines from the tip, it has not yet assumed the normal 
healthy appearance, and I much fear the tip may fall off; it has also lately 
lost part of one of its hind outer toes from the same cause. 
I advance this as a new species of Naultinus with some degree of doubt ; 
but it does not agree with those several descriptions of the various species 
of that genus in ** Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vols. III. and IV., neither with the 
drawing therein given, said to be of N. punctatus, the outline of which is 
different. Should, however, this one here described be found hereafter to 
belong to one of them, then its specific description, as there given, will 
have to be amended. 
NaunTINUS PENTAGONALIS, Col. 
This species is distinguished from its two nearly allied and described 
species (N. elegans, and N. punctatus), by its larger size, longer toes, form of 
scales, number of inter-nasal shields, ete. 
Front of head, flat, somewhat depressed ; eyes, large, broadly orbicular, 
very prominent in the upper region; the fine scales of the infra-orbital fold, 
or ring, protruding causes a ciliated appearance ; aural apertures, large, 
elliptic; a strongly-marked median line, or groove, runs from the base of 
skull nearly to the end of tail; a large protuberance, or hemispherical 
swelling, immediately behind the vent, 
Seales on body and legs most regular and pentagonal; those on lower 
part of head, towards the snout, and between chin and throat, and behind 
vent on the swelling, are much larger than those of the body ; at base of 
tail, on each side of its junction with the thighs, and near the vent, are 
seven large transverse conical-pointed scales, in two rows, 2, those of the 
* Vide Addendum. 
