471 



[This species was commonly met with in the sandhill 

 districts : it tunnels not only in search of lizards, spiders, and 

 insects, but constructs burrows for its own protection. At 

 one place, where the sand was especially hard, I found that 

 a 'goana" had contented itself with making a shallow excava- 

 tion in the side of a bank, in which it lay, its curved hard 

 tail drawn across the opening, doubtless as a barrier against 

 possible enemies. Though these reptiles are quick enough 

 when actually chased they are not readily alarmed, and 

 impudently stand their ground. On one occasion I saw a 

 goana seated at the mouth of a rabbit burrow in an upright 

 position watching the passing of the camel team thirty yards 

 distant. Being mounted, and having only a '410 gun, I 

 signalled to one of the party afoot. Mistaking the object, he 

 fired at a stick 6 feet distant from the lizard, but it moved 

 never a muscle, notwithstanding the loud report from the 

 12 bore. It took me a couple of minutes to swing round and 

 get within range, when I shot it with the small gun.] 



SCINCIDAE. 

 Egernia whitii, Lacep. 



Only one specimen was collected near Tinga-tingana. It 

 is typical in structure, and agrees well with specimen "6" of 

 Lucas and Frost.* 2 ' Scales in thirty-four rows around the 

 body. On examining the type and co-types of Egernia 

 kintorei, S. and Z., (3) I find that species to be identical with 

 this variety. 



[Very common on the sandhills on Strzelecki Creek. This 

 lizard makes a circular burrow, within 6 inches of the surface, 

 sometimes to a distance of 5 feet ; the burrow terminates in 

 an enlarged chamber, wherein the lizard was found coiled 

 up. A second opening was sometimes connected with the 

 burrow.] 



Trachysaurus rugosus, Gray. 



Two specimens were collected. One is dark olive-brown 

 with six indistinct transverse yellow bands ; they become 

 broader and brighter on the sides of the body, where they 

 bifurcate and form narrow transverse bands on the under- 

 surface. 



The other specimen is very pale brown in colour, with 

 yellow markings as in the above. It has a large dark-brown 

 blotch on each scale of the two vertebral series, extending 

 ^from the shoulders to the base of the tail. 



(2) Lucas and Frost: ante, p. 139. 



(3) Stirling and A. Zietz : Trans. Row Soc. S Austr., xvi., 

 1893, p. 171. 



