| OCR Text |
Show 506 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON REPTILES AND [June 14, 7. VARANUS HETEROPHOLIS, sp. n. (Plate XXIX.) Teeth acute, compressed. Snout depressed, obtusely pointed, as long as the distance between the anterior corner of the eye and the ear; canthus rostralis indistinct. Nostril an oblique slit, its distance from the end of the snout thrice as great as from the orbit. Digits rather elongate. Tail compressed, keeled above. Scales on head rather large, flat, polygonal, subequal; ten across the snout, from nostril to nostril, four across supraocular region and three across interorbital region ; the middle supraocular series somewhat enlarged transversely ; temporal scales very small. Nuchal scales very large, round, flat, mostly with a short faint keel, widely separated from each other by finely granular interspaces. Dorsal scales feebly keeled, of very unequal sizes, those on the middle line smallest, with two or three alternating series of very large oval ones on each side ; a series of slightly enlarged scales on each side. Ventral scales keeled, in about 80 transverse series. Caudal scales keeled, those on the lower half twice as large as the others ; caudal keel with a very low doubly toothed crest. Dark brown above; a black streak along each side of the anterior half of the nape, followed by two crescentic black cross-bands on the nape and a third on the back between the fore limbs: reddish brown beneath, throat variegated with black. Total length 1040 millim. ; tail 610. A single specimen was received of this most remarkable new species, which, though nearly allied to V. dumerilii, differs from all its congeners in the singular dorsal lepidosis, which somewhat recalls that of another Bornean Reptile, Lanthanotus borneensis, described some 15 years ago from a single specimen obtained at Sarawak, and as to the systematic position of which we are still much in the dark owing to the imperfection of Dr. Steindachner's description. Some time ago I pointed out the singular fact that the Frog and the Toad with the longest legs known (Rana jerboa and Bufo jerboa) are both from Borneo. A parallel case of superficial resemblance is now offered by the similitude in scaling between Varanus heteropholis and Lanthanotus borneensis. 8. VARANUS SALVATOR, Laur. 9. TROPIDOPHORUS BROOKII, Gray. 10. CYLINDROPHIS RUFUS, Laur. 11. SIMOTES OCTOLINEATUS, Schn. 12. GONYOPHIS MARGARITATUS, Ptrs. A single young specimen, with 233 ventrals and 108 subcaudals. Three black streaks on the back of the head, one on each side behind the eye, the third along the suture between the parietals. 13. TROPIDONOTUS CONSPICILLATUS, Gthr. |
