142 Characters of two New Genera 
sopelea, in consequence of having learnt from him that he had, pre- 
vious to his departure from Europe, observed like appearances in 
the Coluber ornatus, and hod on that account separated it from the 
other then constituted genera, under the title of Chrysopelea orna- 
ta. Though the term employed by me was originally framed as the 
designation of a genus for the Cape species, without any know- 
ledge of what had been accomplished in Holland, yet that of M. 
Boie had priority as its patron, and to whatever enjoys that, an 
immediate and unqualified preference ought invariably to be given. 
Whoever had the pleasure of witnessing the noble candour and 
liberality of that celebrated and highly talented naturalist while he 
was alive, could scarcely feel disposed to act otherwise towards his 
memory, and it must always be a source of regret with the lovers of 
natural history, that an individual so eminently calculated to ad- 
vance their favourite science should have almost immediately fallen 
a victim to the deleterious effects of the climate of the country he 
was appointed by his government to explore. 
The three species of the other form, for which I have established 
the genus Pleurotuchus, present certain of the characters of the 
Scinci, but at the same time have several others peculiar to them- 
selves, amongst which one of the most particular is an elevated lon- 
gitudinal fold of skin, which extends from the angle of the mouth 
to the base of each hinder extremity, the one edge of which is 
loose and directed upwards, so as to conceal when undisturbed a nar- 
row stripe of minute granular or warty-looking bodies, which, instead 
of scales, cover the skin immediately above its base or fixed edge. 
CLASS REPTILIA. ORDO SAURI. FAMILIA SCINCID^E. GE- 
NUS PLEUROTUCHUS. 
CH. GEN. Caput quadrangulare, supra scutatum. 
Denies in maxillis et palato, priorium aequales, fixi approximate, 
sublongi, cylindrici, acuminate et confertum applicati ad super fi- 
ciem mternam ramorum, ultimi breves acuminati cylindrici et in 
seriebus duabus profunde in ore siti. 
Lingua crassa depressa et apice incisa. 
Oculi palpebris duabus, pupillis circular ibus. 
Corpus subquadrangulare, dorso lateribusque squamis quadrangu- 
laribus carinatis tectis ; abdomine scutis quadratis in fasciis trans- 
versis, gutture hexagonis. Plica longitudinalis cutis prominens in- 
ter angulum oris et extremitates posteriores. 
Cauda subcylindrica, verticillata, et squamae, exceptione illarum 
prope anum, valde carinatae. 
