268 The Philippine Journal of Science 1917 



In the two species first mentioned, which are very closely 

 related, the legs are used more or less; in bicolor the legs are 

 for the most part kept folded close to the body and are probably 

 of no great consequence in locomotion; however, the limbs are 

 still pentadactyl. In elerse the limbs are still further reduced 

 and one of the digits on each hand and foot is wanting; in this 

 species the legs are probably of no use in locomotion. In bonitx 

 and burksi the legs are reduced to small stumplike rudiments 

 and are scarcely more than 2 millimeters long in the largest 

 specimens. 



In this paper I have redescribed the species of the genus from 

 large series of specimens. The characters assigned to B. gracilis 

 and to B. schadenbergi by Boulenger ' are not constant, and 

 specimens of one species can be found that agree with both 

 descriptions. Of the two new species here described, B. elerse 

 is well differentiated by having only four digits ; B. burksi stands 

 in the same relation to B. bonitse as B. schadenbergi does to B. 

 gracilis. 



Key to the species of Brachymeles, 



a\ Limbs pentadactyl. 



b\ Length of hind leg contained three to four times in the distance be- 

 tween axilla and groin. 

 c\ Second pair of chin shields broader than first and separated by one 



scale , gracilis Fischer. 



c^ First pair of chin shields broader than second pair, the latter sep- 

 arated by two or three scales schadenbergi Fischer. 



b^. Length of hind leg contained about seven times in distance from axilla 

 to groin. First pair of chin shields broadest; second pair separated 



by two or more scales. Limbs pentadactyl bicolor Gray. 



a^. Limbs tetradactyl. Length of hind limb contained nine to ten times 

 in distance from axilla to groin; second pair of chin shields broadest, 



separated by one scale elerae sp. nov. 



a'. Limbs stumplike. Limbs contained in axilla to groin distance twenty- 

 five or more times. 

 d\ Second pair of chin shields broadest, separated by a single scale. 



burksi sp. nov. 



d\ First pair of chin shields broadest; second pair separated by three 



scales bonitae Dumeril and Bibron. 



Brachymeles schadenbergi Fischer. Plate I, fig. 1. 



Senira bicolor, part., Gray, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. (1845), 98. 

 Eumeces (Riopa) schadenbergi Fischer, Jahrb. Wiss. Anst. Hamb. 



(1885), 11, 87, PI. Ill, fig. 2. 

 Brachymeles schadenbergii BoULENGER, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. (1887), 



3, 386. 



* Boulenger, op. cit., 386. 



