xin, D, 5 Taylor: Reptiles of Sulu Archipelago 257 



Measurements of Brachymeles vermis sp. nov. 



mm. 



Total length 144 



Snout to vent 86 



Tail 58 



Width of head 4 



Width of body 5 



Variation. — Specimens were obtained in four localities: Biti- 

 nan, 3 specimens; Lapac, 4; Bubuan (south island), 3; and 

 Papahag, 4. All show variations. Bitinan specimens have 

 twenty-four rows of scales, and two have the nuchals much 

 elongated and only one temporal touching the parietal; Lapac 

 specimens have twenty-six scale rows; one specimen has the 

 parietal broken on one side; Bubuan specimens, including the 

 type, twenty-two scale rows; Papahag specimens all have the 

 parietal broken in two parts. The first pair is small, about 

 the size of the prefrontals; the second posterior pair elongate, 

 forming the normal suture ; they have twenty-two to twenty-four 

 scale rows about the body. 



Remarks. — This species is closely related to Brachymeles 

 burksi Taylor and Brachymeles bonitss Gray. It carries the 

 retrogression of the genus another step, and we find the evolu- 

 tion complete from the highest developed forms, Brachymeles 

 gracilis and schadenhergii, with well-developed pentadactyl limb, 

 to this small legless form. 



Brachymeles gracilis Fischer. 



One specimen was obtained on Great Govenen Island and 

 three specimens on Jolo Island. They agree very well with 

 those from Negros and Mindoro. The hind leg is contained in 

 the axilla to groin distance an average of three and one-tenth 

 times; the development of the digits is slightly less than in 

 northern specimens. It is a matter of no small surprise to find 

 this species in Sulu Archipelago, as the known Mindanao species 

 is B. schadenhergii. 



Dibamus argenteus Taylor. 



One specimen taken on Papahag ; a second specimen was found 

 at Tunku Point, British North Borneo. 



SNAKES 

 Typhlops braminus Daudin. 



Specimens were taken at Zamboanga and on Bongao. 



Typhlops suluensis sp. nov. . Text fig, 11. 



Type. — No. 2001, Bureau of Science collection; collected on 

 Bubuan, Tapian Group, Sulu, October 2, 1917, by E. H. Taylor. 



