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 

 dishked and considered ominous. But, though I have often seen N. elegans 

 on shrubs, etc., 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 cry 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 Naultimis 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 iV. 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. 



NaULTINUS PENTAGONAilS, Col. 



This species is distinguished from its two nearly allied and described 

 species {N. elegans, and X. pimctatus), by its larger size, longer toes, form of 

 scales, number of inter-nasal shields, etc. 



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. 



Scales 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, f, those of the 



* Vide Addendum. 



