234 S A U R I A. 



Le scinque ordinaire de la Nbuvelle Ebllande, Datjd. Hist. Nat. Rept, IV, 1802, 286. 

 Keneux de Boddaerty CocT. Tab. synopt. Seine. (Compt. Rend. Acad, des Se. IV, 

 1837.) 



Observ. — We find but one specimen of this species in the collection 

 of the Exploring Expedition : a prepared skin of a female individual, 

 measuring twenty inches and a half from the apex of the snout to the 

 tip of the tail. It is the largest species of the Seine family, and one, 

 therefore, often noticed by travellers and naturalists. 



Descr. — The tail measures about seven inches, and the head two 

 and a half inches. There are thirty-eight longitudinal series of scales 

 around the body. The dorsal and abdominal scales exhibit obscure 

 central grooves, whilst on the sides they are nearly smooth. The 

 lateral scales are smaller than the rest, disposed upon series converg- 

 ing towards the back. 



The auricular aperture is moderate, oblong, obliquely situated 

 beneath and behind the temples, anteriorly provided with one series 

 of projecting scales, giving that margin a denticulated aspect. The 

 inferior rim of the orbit is composed of seven small, subquadrangular 

 plates, somewhat larger anteriorly than posteriorly. The supracili- 

 aries are six in number, polygonal or subrhomboid ; the second and 

 third, by far the largest : they complete the rim of the orbit. There 

 are four supraoculars ; the anterior is the smallest, and the second 

 the largest. The nasal is rhomboid, with the nostril in its middle. 

 AV^e observe a subquadrangular postnasal, and a subtrapezoid loral. 

 There are no supranasals. The odd prefrontal, large and lozenge- 

 shaped, somewhat broader than long, is contiguous to the rostral by 

 its anterior angle. The nasals nearly approximate upon the middle 

 line of the snout. Laterally, the prefrontal meets the postnasal, it 

 being limited posteriorly by the postfrontals. The latter are rhomboid, 

 contiguous laterally to the postnasal and the loral, and posteriorly to 

 the first and second supraoculars and the vertex plate. The vertex 

 plate itself is elongated, subcordate, or sublanceolated, obtusely hexa- 

 gonal, with its acute angle directed backwards, where it is limited by 

 a pair of rhomboid parietals. The latter are contiguous sideways to 

 the third, fourth, and fifth supraoculars, and behind to the odd 

 occipital and latero-occipitals. The middle or odd occipital is elon- 

 gated, obscurely hexagonal, tapering posteriorly, with its sides sub- 

 concave ; anteriorlj^, as already observed, it is contiguous to the parie- 



