654 Notices and Descriptions of various Reptiles. [No. 7. 



Sphenocephaly, nobis, n. g. A Sepsoid form affined to Sphe- 

 nops, "Wagler, but with more slender and elongated shape, and the 

 limbs placed more distantly apart ; the anterior minute and fitting 

 into a groove, the posterior as large as in Sphenops, and each having 

 but three toes, of which the innermost and next are subequal and 

 the outer much shorter.* Form slender, § cylindrical, quite flat and 

 laterally angulated beneath as far as the vent : the body and tail 

 covered with small, smooth, lustrous, hexagonal scales, with a me- 

 dian row of broader scales along the under surface of the tail. 

 Head much as in Sphenops, but the muzzle more pointed; the 

 upper lip covering the mouth. Tongue broad, triangular, its cleft 

 scarcely perceptible ; the incision of the palate small. Teeth very 

 minute. Eyes minute, with semi-transparent lower lid, No ex- 

 ternal trace of ear, Nostrils terminal, placed in the anterior margin 

 of the nasals, contiguous to the front of each inter-nasal and the 

 rostral; rostral equilaterally triangular; supra-nasal broad, hep- 

 tangular, with apex to the front ; fronti-nasals subtriangular, a little 

 elongated; frontal obtusely subtriangular; parietal inequilaterally 

 pentangular, with obtuse posterior base, single and as large as the 

 frontal. A large subquadrilateral plate under the eye, and three 

 small transversely narrow plates in front of it, and posterior to the 

 nasal plate. A large diamond plate on centre of chin, emarginated 

 anteriorly to admit a small roundish plate which is bordered by the 

 anterior laterals. Tail shorter than the body, and sub-cylindrical, 

 flattened below. 



Sph. teidactylus, nobis, n. s. Very pale brown, a little deeper 

 on the upper-parts. The largest of six specimens, measures 6 in. in 

 total length, of which the tail is 2 in., and distance apart of the fore 

 and hind limbs i in. Length of fore-limb i in. ; of hind ^ in. 

 From Afghanistan. Presented by Dr. Allan "Webb. 



The habit of this curious reptile is indicated by its structure. It 

 is evidently a burrower, probably into loose sandy soil, where it 

 would work its way with its wedge-like muzzle, deriving considera- 

 ble appuis from its hind-limbs ; the minute fore-legs remaining 



* It is still more nearly affined to the Australian form Ronia of Gray, figured 

 in the Appendix to Grey's Journal ; but this has still more rudimentary limbs, the 

 anterior merely indicated externally, and the posterior shewing but two digits. 



