"Length, from snout to root of tail. . . .5-2 inclies. 



„ of tail . . . . , . . 3-3 „ 



„ of head . . . . . . . 1*38 „ 



Front feet 4-toed, hind feet .5-toed ; thumb with a claw. Teeth yellow. Tail 

 scaly and covered with short stiff white hairs to the end. ISTose shaip pointed. 

 Ears long (0-6 inch), rather pointed, yellowish brown, covered with minute 

 hairs. Back and sides light reddish brown, inclining more to yellow on the 

 shoulders and head. Snout, throat, cheeks, belly and feet dirty white. Fur 

 below the hair slate blue. 



"This specimen was presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr. J. Thorpe, 

 in January, 1853." 



Two skins of the same sjDecies of rat as that described by Mr. Buller have 

 since been received from Mr. Moore, who obtained them on the East Coast of 

 the Wellington Province. — Ed.] 



Art. U.—A List of the Lizards inhabiting New Zealand^ vjith Descriptions. 

 By Walter Buller, E.L.S., F.G.S. 



(With Illustrations.) 

 \Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, October 22, 1870.] 

 As some confusion has hitherto existed in the nomenclature and classification 

 of the New Zealand lizards, I beg to lay before the Society a list of those 

 already known to science, with a short description of each species for the 

 purpose of identification. I am, however, of opinion that in some instances 

 the difierences which have been accepted by Dr. Gray and others as sufiicient 

 to mark distinct species, are due either to sex or age, and are not of any definite 

 value as specific characters. There is, moreover, among this section, a great 

 tendency to individual variation, and mere difierences of colour, unless well 

 marked and constant, are therefore a somewhat unsafe guide in the deter- 

 mination of species. 



Further information on this branch of our local zoology is much to be 

 desired. The Kawekaweau, a beautiful striped lizard, sometimes attaining a 

 length of two feet, is still undescribed. It was formerly abundant in the 

 forests north of Auckland, and is still occasionally met with. Mr. F. E. 

 Maning, of Hokianga, recently obtained possession of a pair of live ones, but 

 unfortunately for science, one of them was devoured by a cat and the other 

 made its escape. A black lizard, described by Mr. Thomas Kirk as having 

 been seen by him on the cluster of rocky islets ofi" the west coast of the Great 

 Barrier, known as Grey's Archipelago, will probably prove to be a new 

 form. Descriptions of three new species, which I have ventured to name 

 Ilinulia variegata, Mocoa striata, and Naidtinus sulphureus, are included in 

 the following paper. 



