38 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
Bocage records this species from the high plateau of south 
Angola. 
Platysaurus capensis Smith was taken by Smith in the sandy 
deserts of Great Namaqualand. 
Platysaurus guttatus Smith occurs in the Zoutpansberg District 
of the Transvaal, in Matabeleland, and the South African Museum has 
specimens of this species from Mashonaland (near Salisbury) and as 
far south as Victoria West, C.C. 
Platysaurus wilhelmi, n. sp., was taken at Nelspruit, Barberton 
District; it occurs also in Zululand. 
Platysaurus torquatus Pet. described from Mozambique. 
Key to Genera of South African Lizards.* 
1. Limbs present (sometimes much reduced) ... ... ... 10 
Limbs none ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 
3. Eyes concealed under the skin ... ... ... ... ... 3 
Eyes not concealed under the skin ... ... ... ... 6 
,3. Nostril pierced in a separate nasal ... ... ... ... 4 
Nostril pierced in the large rostral... ... Typhlosaurus. (An.) 
4. Snout rounded or feebly compressed, no large pectoral 
segments ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 
Snout broadly projecting with cutting edge, pectoral shields 
enlarged ... ... ... ... ... Monopeltis. (Am.) 
5. Preanal pores present; an ocular shield ... Amphisbaena. (Am.) 
No preanal pores and no ocular shield ... Chirindia. (Am.) 
6. Nostril pierced in the large rostral shield, with the posterior 
border of which it is connected by a suture ... ... ... T 
Nostril pierced between the rostral and a very small nasal or first 
labial ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 
7. No eyelids, a supranasal ... ... ... Typhlacontias. (S.) 
A transparent lower eyelid, no supranasal ... Acontias. (S.) 
8. Palatine bones in contact on the median line ... Scelotes. (S.) 
Palatine bones not meeting on the median line ... ... 9 
9. Nostril pierced between the rostral and a very small ring-shaped 
nasal which is situated between the rostral and the first labial 
Herpetosaura. (S.) 
Nostril pierced between the rostral, the supranasal, the postnasal, 
and the first labial .. . ... ... ... ... Sepsina. (S.) 
Nostril pierced between the rostral and first labial 
Melanoseps. (S.) 
10. Head covered by symetrical plates ... ... ... ... 25 
Head not covered by symetrical plates ... ... ... ... 11 
11. Digits not arranged in two bundles froming gasping organs 13 
Digits arranged in two bundles forming gasping organs ... 12 
12. Claws simple, scales on soles smooth ... Chamaeleon. (C.) 
Claws bicuspid, scales on soles spinose ... Rhampholeon. (C.) 
13. Digits interiorly modified into adhesive organs, i.e. with 
swellings on the articulations or lateral expansions of some or 
all of the phalanges ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 
Digits included in a thick web forming a broad palmar surface 
Palmetto gecko. (G.) 
Digits not modified into adhesive organs and not broadly 
webbed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 
* This Key is a modified and enlarged reproduction of an original drawn up by Dr 
Gough. 
