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Family SepsidjE. 



This family differs from the Scincid.e and ACONTIAD^ by the 

 nostrils being in the front edge of a small shield in a notch at 

 the hinder side of the rostral. 



Sphenocephalus, Blyth. 



Limbs rudimentary. Ears hidden. Eyes minute with a semi- 

 transparent lower lid. Anterior limbs fitting into a groove. 



S. tridactylus, Blyth. 



Body cylindrical elongate, flat beneath and angled at the abdo- 

 minal edge. Three toes on all feet. Scales smooth and lustrous 

 with an enlarged row under the tail. A large subquadrilateral 

 plate under the eye, and three small plates between it and the 

 nasal. A large lozenge-shaped plate in centre of chin, emargi- 

 nated anteriorly to admit a small roundish nuchal plate. Tail 

 shorter than body. Colour very pale brown, deeper on the back. 



Length, body 4-00 ; tail 2-00 = 6-00 inches. 



Inhabits the sandy tracts in Synd and the Southern and 

 Western Punjab where it is called Rig Mahi ' sand fish.' 



S. pentadactylus. Bed. Mad., Mont. J. Med. Sc, 1870, No. 7, 

 p. 30. 



Fore legs minute and fitting into a groove. Hind legs well 

 formed. Toes five, on all feet. Nostril in a small shield, let in 

 to the hinder part of the rostral. A small post nasal followed 

 by two (?) loreals (though the drawing shows three). The second 

 and third being both in contact with the first. Eye surrounded 

 by small scales. A single narrow prsefrontal. Postfrontal 

 hexagonal. Occipitals rounded behind, separated by a minute 

 shield which is let into the base of the vertical. Upper labials 

 8-9, the fourth and fifth under the eye. Colour uniform dark 

 brown. 



Inhabits the sandy banks of the Kuddle Pondy, a tidal stream 

 in Beypur. 



Type unique, in the Madras Museum. The head being injured, 

 the character of the lower eyelid could not be determined. 



