REPTILES FROM WEST AFRICA 



A.II1 pli i st) a^e n Ì d a,e • 



23. Amphisbaena oligopholis, sp. n. 



Allied to .1. leucm^a, D. B., but nasal-praefrontal and 

 praeocular fused with upper labials , supraocular with ocular . 

 postfi'ontals with occipitals, and temporals with upjier labials; the 

 head-shields consisting therefore of a mall triangular rostral, a very 

 small pentagonal frontal, and only five paired shields, viz. tln^ee 

 large labials , the first pierced Ijy the nostril , an ocular , and a 



narrow postfrontal; chin covered ])y a large elongate symphysial, 

 of nearly equal width troughout (^) , separating a pair of very 

 large lower labials; a small, square second lower labial. !2i9 to 

 248 annuii on the body, 12 to 28 on the tail; an annulus on 

 the body contains 18 segments, 10 above and 8 l)elow the lateral 

 lines, the two median ventrals three times as broad as long. Vertebral 

 and lateral grooves distinct. 4 or 6 anal segments ; 9 to 11 prae- 

 anal pores (usually 10). Upper parts uniform pale brown; lower 



(1) In A. leuaira the symphysial is also single, but much narrowed behind. An 

 allied species, of which the British Museum possesses examples from the Grold Coast 

 and from Jebba, upper Niger, has lieen figured by Peters (Mon. Beri. Ac. 1S79, p. 277 

 pi. — ) as A leticura; it differs in having the symphysial followed by a median chin* 

 shield. For this species I propose the name A* petersii. 



