287 



MABOUYA SCINK. 



Lacerta Mabouya. L. suhaurato-flavescens, latcribus suhfuscisj 

 pedibus brevihus, maxillis ceqmlibus, cauda mediocri. 



Gilded-yellowish Lizard, with brownish sides, short legs, jaws 

 of equal and tail of middling length. 



Le Mabouya. Cepede ovip, p. 37S.pL 34. 



The Mabouya, according to the Count de Ce- 

 pede, who has described and figured it in his His- 

 tory of Oviparous Quadrupeds, is extremely aUied 

 to the Scink, from which, indeed, on a cursory 

 view, it scarce differs, except in having somewhat 

 shorter legs in proportion, and jaws of equal 

 length ; whereas in the Scink the upper jaw is 

 longer than the lower. The length of the indi- 

 vidual described by the Count de Cepede was 

 eight inches : the ground colour is a kind of 

 gilded yellow^, but the scales on the back are 

 sometimes much darker with a white speck or line 

 on each : along the sides of the body runs a 

 dusky or deep brown band, beneath Avhich the 

 colour is much paler, forming almost a M'hite 

 band : the colour of this animal, however, like 

 that of the preceding species, appears to vary in 

 diiferent specimens. It is a native of America, 

 as Avell as of Jamaica and other West- Indian 

 islands. It is also found, according to Cepede, 



* This species seems much allied to the L. aurata of Linnseus, 

 the synonyms to which in the Systema Naturae seem to be ap- 

 plied with no very great precision. 



