nostril towards hinder extremity ;' supra-nasal, plates [narro w, oblique, and internally almost contiguous
naso-rostral five-sided, anteriorly acute; fronto-nasal plates four-sided, not in contact; being- separated
by the intervention of the anterior extremity of the frontal. Frontal, plate pear-shaped, .the broadest
portion in front; fronto-parietal plates four-sided, the inner and outer sides much the longest. Parietal
plates three-sided, pointed behind; interparietal plate rhomboidal, the two.anterior sides very short.
A narrow transverse plate behind each parietal plate. Freno-nasal plate narrow transversely; frenal plate
an oblong square; preocular plate four-sided. Scales of upper lip exclusive of rostral, and of lower exclusive
of mental, 9 ;■ respectively. Scales of back and'tail six-sided, and faintly three-keeled. External
ear-opening circular, and about a line and a half behind angle of mouth; its edge smooth. The ground
colour of the upper surface of the head, the back, and the upper and lateral parts of the tail, intermediate
between reddish brown and hair-brown; each scale on the back narrowly edged with liver-brown.
Sides of the body liver-brown, variegated sparingly with small sienna-yellow spots; below, the brown
is gradually lost in the colour of the belly. The colour of the sides is separated from that of the back by
a narrow yellow or reddish-yellow line, which'proceeds on each side from the eyebrow, and is gradually
lost on the base of the tail, a little posterior to the hinder legs. Under parts wine-yellow; the inferior
surface of the head, and the throat freckled with short waved bluish-green lines.1 The belly strongly
tinted with green- Length from nose to base of tail, 1 inch 8 lines; length of tail,- 2 inches 4 lines;
transverse diameter of body, about 3 lines.
Inhabits the interior of Southern Africa, and specimens are rarely procured.
SCELOTES ANGUINEUS, Fitz. Anguis Bipes, Lin., Mus. Adolph. Fred. tom. i. page 21, tab.
. 28, fig. 3. Bipes Anguineus, Merrem. Tent. Syst.Amph. page 76. ■ Scelotes Bipes, Gray, Cat.
Lizards, British Museum, page 123.
Inhabits most parts of Southern Africa, and is found under .stones, or in. loose soil, near the , roots l
of. shrubs. *.
LITHOPHILUS, n. g.
Ch. Gen. Figure, serpentiform. Nostrils lateral, in the hinder edge of the rostral plate.
Teeth conical, simple, and thinly set. Tongue flat and fleshy, the tip membranous/ entire, and with a
longitudinal gutter, the middle portion coated with'thin scales, the hinder portion with transverse rugae.
Palatal slit long, bifid anteriorly. Interparietal and parietal plates cover the whole of the hindhead.
Palpebral plates in a row, edging the frontal and interparietal plates; a row of small1 scales under the ?
outer edge of palpebral plates. Eye small; eyelids distinct. No external ear-opening. • No extremities.
Scales smooth.*
LITHOPHILUS INORNATUS, .n. s .,
Head somewhat four-sided; hindhead rather broad; sides converge toward the nose, the latter
is rounded. . Body cylindrical,, slender, and throughout nearly of equal thickness. Tail cylindrical,-and
tapered, point rather acute; rostral plate semicircular; nasal plates behind nostrils subovate, and
contiguous; naso-rostral plate rhomboidal or imperfectly six-sided; fronto-nasal wanting, or forming on
each side the anteriormost palpebral plate. Frontal plate large anteriorly,'somewhat bell-shaped,
posteriorly convex, the .centre, of the convexity projecting; no fronto-parietal plates; interparietal plate
very large, somewhat, cordiform, the concavity enveloping the hinder edge of frontal plate. Parietal
plates narrow, lengthened, and posteriorly contiguous. Palpebral plates five in a row, and a small one
* - Were it not that the species of this.group are without extremities, they might be ranged, as far as.most characters are ,
concerned, in Scelotes of Fitzinger.
below the last, all square; frenal plate square, preocular small, somewhat triangular. Plates of upper
lip, exclusive of rostral, 6; of fewer lip, exclusive of mental, 5; mental plate, semicircular; postmental
plate, three or five sided, with a projecting angle behind; behind this plate three large plates,
edging the labial plates, the first pair internally contiguous. Scales of the body and tail six-sided, and
arranged in longitudinal rows. Outer surface of lower eyelid coated with small plates. Preanal plates 6;
the two middle ones rather large, the two on each side smaller. The colour of the upper surface of the
head, the back, and the upper surface of the tail, clear yellowish brown; the sides of body and tail a
lighter tint of the same colour, distinctly tinged with green; many of the scales of the back, and all of
the sides, with a transverse greenish black or liver-brown spot in the centre, forming longitudinal
rows. Colour of the under parts, wine-yellow. Length from nose to anus, 3 inches; the tail being
imperfect, the length cannot be given; but it may be presumed, from what exists, that it is about the
length of the body. The colours given are. those observed in a specimen which has been preserved .for
years in spirits.
Inhabits arid situations in the interior of Southern Africa, and is found among or under stones.
LITHOPHILUS BICOLOR, n. s.
Figure very slender. Head quadrangular, contracted before the eyes; nose rounded; sides
vertical. Body somewhat four-sided; back slightly convex; sides perpendicular. Tail subquadrangular
towards base, cylindrical towards apex, tapered and pointed. Nostrils* in hinder edge of rostral plate,
and their hinder margin, formed by a narrow ring distinct from the plate. Rostral plate semicircular;
nasal plates subovate, internally contiguous. Naso-rostral plate rather irregularly six-sided. Frontal
plate large, somewhat five-sided; the anterior side straight, the two hinder sides oblique, and form,
where they unite behind, in thé middle of the head, a rounded point. Interparietal plate large, somewhat
heart-shaped, the apex of the frontal plate received into its notch; behind, towards its apex, a
slight, angle on each side. Parietal plates long, narrow, and widest behind; a long,, narrow, transverse
plate behind each;parietal plate. Palpebral plates 4, and a small one under the last; they increase in
size forwards* the anteriormost the largest and subrhomboidal, the others quadrangular» Frenal plate
square; preocular plate small, somewhat triangular. Scales of body and tail six-sided, longest transversely.
Preanal. scales 6; the two middle ones very large,, the two on each side very small. The
colour of the upper surface of the head anteriorly livid brown ; the remainder, and the back and upper
surface,: of the tail, intermediate between greenish white and pale flesh-red ; the back and tail variegated,
with two longitudinal lines of closely-set brownish red dots. These lines commence at the hindhead,
and are gradually lost towards the apex of the tail, where it acquires a light brown colour ; , hinder
surface of the head finely dotted with brownish red. Sides of body and tail light brownish red;
under parts the same colour, only much paler. Length from nose to base of tail 1 inch 5 lines; length
of tail 1 inch; width of body ^th of an inch. The scales of the body in this species are shorter transversely,
and broader in the. opposite direction than those of Lithophilus inomatus. The form of the
plates.of the head generally is very different, and the body is quadrangular instead of subcylindrical.
Inhabits the western coast of Southern Africa, and the specimen, the only one I possess, or have
seen, was procured under a large stone on the side of a rocky ravine in Little Namaqualand.
AGAMA COLONORÜM, Baud. Bum. et Bib. Erpet. Gener. tom. iv. page 489. Agama occipitalis,
Gray, Cat. of Lizards, British Museum, page 256.
Inhabits the Western Coast of Southern Africa, particularly the rocky mountains of Great and
Little Namaqualand.