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Show 1871.] DR. A. GUNTHER ON THE SEPID_E. 243 tail; and the presence of the second specimen might be accounted for by supposing that Sir A. Smith found it among his extensive collection, after the publication of the Appendix, and placed it in the same bottle with the typical example. The description itself answers well enough to our examples, except in two points. The innermost toe is described as being rather longer than the second ; and a minute circular ear-opening is mentioned. N o w in those examples (which have considerably suffered during the long period of their preservation) no trace of an external ear-opening can be found; and I should have described the second toe as rather longer than the innermost. Nevertheless, taking all the circumstances into consideration, I am inclined to regard the tailless example as the type of Sir A. Smith's description; and I may add that the body is surrounded by twenty-three longitudinal series of scales, and that there are seventy scales in a longitudinal series between the fore limb and vent. This species connects Scelotes with Seps. It may be referred to the subgenus Heteromeles, on account of the indistinctness of the ear-opening. SEPS (GONGYLUS) VIRIDANUS, Gravenhorst, Act. Nov. Ac. Cees. Leopold, xxiii. p. 348. Head as in Gongylus ocellatus. Limbs much more feebly developed, with only four toes ; the anterior shorter than the head, the posterior shorter than the distance of the fore-limb from the extremity of the snout. Bod}' surrounded by twenty-four longitudinal series of scales ; there are seventy-five scales in a longitudinal series between the fore limbs and the vent. Ear a small round opening. Upper parts brown, with an olive-coloured band, two scales broad, on each side of the back. The brown median part on the back with small white black-edged ocelli, arranged in two longitudinal series. The ocelli are continued on the tail, but not the bands. Lower parts white. Total length without tail (which is injured, and partly reproduced in all the specimens) 83 Length of the head (to the ear-opening 9 Length of the fore limb 7 Length of the hind limb 15 Length of the fourth hind toe 5 Two specimens of this Lizard, said to have been brought from North-western Africa, were received from the Zoological Society*. Fortunately the British Museum possesses a third specimen, from which more accurate information with regard to the habitat is obtained. It was brought by R. M'Andrew, Esq., in the year 1852, from Orotava, on the island of Teneriffe, which locality is mentioned also by Gravenhorst. This species is instructive in several respects. It is one of the numerous instances which prove that modifications of a rudimentary * [They were purchased by the Society from a dealer along with specimens of other North-African Eeptiles, June 15th, 1870 (see P. Z. S. 1870, p. 900).- P. L. S.] |
