AGAMA ATRA, Baud. Bum. et Bib. Erpet. Gener. tom. iv. page 493. Merrem. Syst. Amph.
page 54. Cuv. Reg*. Animal, tom. ii. page 36, Agama subhispidus, Kaup. Isis. 1827, page
616. Agama subspinosa, Gray, Ann. Philosoph. tom. ii. page 214.
Specimens of this species are met with in abundance in most parts of Southern Africa, especially
where large stones or rocky hills occur; and are seen basking in the sun, either flat on their belly or
raised on their fore-legs.
AGAMA ACULEATA, Merrem. Syst. Amph. page 58. Bum. et Bib• Erpet. Gen. tom. iv.
page 499.
Inhabits rocky localities in most parts of Southerii Africa. It abounds in the rocky mountains
of Little Namaqualand..
AGAMA SPINOSA, Bum. et Bib. Erpet. Gener. tom. iv. page 502. Agama orbicularis, Baud.
Hist. Rept. tom. iii. p. 406. Agama aculeata, Cuv. Reg. Animal, tom. ii. page 36. Agama
hispida, Gray, Cat. of Lizards, British Museum, page 257.
This species occurs in most parts of Southern Africa, but most abundantly in sandy districts
which are sparingly coated with grass or dwarf shrubs.
AGAMA ATRICOLLIS, Smith.—
Head large, subcordiform; hinder angle of jaws bulged. Eyebrows prominent and arched;
the upper surface of the head flat and sloped to the nose. Body bulky; sides very protuberant and
much arched. Tail nearly cylindrical and tapered to the point, which is very slender. Extremities
moderately long and rather robust; toes long, moderately strong, slightly compressed, and armed with
compressed, curved, and pointed claws. Nostrils circular, placed in the centre of a rather large
ovate convex scale, in the line of the rostral canthus. External ear-opening large, semilunar, the
anterior edge with three or four triangular projecting scales towards the lower extremity of the orifice.
Scales on the upper surface of the head convex or subtubercular, those between the eyes largest.
Scales of the back and sides generally small, subtriangular, and carinated; but amongst them are
others much larger, more convex, and more strongly carinated. Along the vertebral line these are
numerous, and arranged in two or three irregular longitudinal rows: on the sides they are less
abundant, and form more or less' complete transverse lines. Scales of the tail strongly carinated. On
the upper surface of the neck, and below and behind the ears, a few spinous scales are scattered among
the small scales. Scales of the breast and belly triangular, and more or less keeled, many of the keels
prolonged into fine acute spines. One or two rows of convex preanal pores in the male, about ten in
each row. Colour of the upper surface of the head and tail, greenish brown, or yellowish brown, the
latter towards the point with narrow rings of liver-brown; ground colour of back and sides of body
intermediate between oil-green and yellowish brown, freely veined with liver-brown, and speckled with
ochre or sienna yellow. Sides of the neck with a large trifid black mark, one of the branches directed
upwards and forwards towards the occiput. Under surface of head greenish blue or straw-yellow,
veined with greenish blue; under part of neck, breast, and belly, sienna-yellow, faintly tinted with
green, and in the female speckled with small bluish green spots; under surface of tail the same colour
as the upper, only clearer. Length from nose to base of tail 6 inches; length of tail 8 inches.
Inhabits the interior of Southern Africa; also the country near Port Natal.
PHOLEOPHILUS, n. a.
Ch. Gen. Serpent-shaped. Nose considerably in advance of the lower jaw. Nostrils situated in
the nasal plate. Plates of the head,—one rostral, two nasal, one naso-rostral, or fronto-nasal, one frontal,
one interparietal, four parietals, and one palpebral over each eye. Eyes small. Upper*eyelid narrow.
Teeth small, conical, and thinly set. No external ear-openings. Extremities two, very small, undivided,
pointed, and situated one on each side of vent. Scales of the body and tail smooth, six-sided,
and imbricate, arranged in longitudinal rows.
PHOLEOPHILUS CAPENSIS, n. s.
Head rather lengthened, narrowest anteriorly; sides of head vertical. Body subquadrangular.
Tail cylindrical, point rather obtuse. Upper jaw extended considerably beyond the lower; the anterior
extremity of both much depressed, almost cutting. Rostral plate large, subtriangular; nasal plates
subrhomboidal, internally contiguous; naso-rostral, single, five-sided, long transversely, rather narrow
in the opposite direction; frontal plate large, cup-shaped, the anterior edge slightly angular; interparietal
plate large, five-sided, the anterior side concave, to receive the hinder part of the frontal plate;
interparietal plates four, long, rather narrow, placed obliquely on the hindhead, and widest behind;
palpebral plate one on each side, somewhat kidney-shaped. Frenal plate subovate; preocular plate
small, quadrangular. Plates of upper lip exclusive of rostral, and of lower exclusive of mental, five;
mental plate large, square behind; first submental plate as broad as mental, and triangular, the apex
backwards; three other submental plates on each side, edging the labial plates, those of one side
separated from' those of the other by a row of small six-sided plates. Scales, of the back close to the
head, long transversely, and narrow in the opposite direction; more behind, six-sided, shorter transversely,
and much wider in the opposite direction.' Scales of the tail large, somewhat ovate, much imbricate,
the hinder edge of each semicircular. Plates of the under parts the same shape as those of the tail,
on the belly rather smaller. Preanal plates four, two long longitudinally, one narrow at the
hinder extremity, the other much wider. Eyes small; eyelids narrow but distinct; hinder extremities
about a line in length, very narrow, laterally compressed, pointed, and coated with minute scales.
The colour of the head and tail clear yellowish brown, the back and sides greenish white, with a
silvery lustre; the former is variegated with two longitudinal lines of small brownish red dots; the
latter with a broad, clear, brownish red stripe; the stripes and dotted lines, which commence at the
hindhead, disappear about the middle of the tail; under parts of body wine-yellow. Length from
nose to base of tail 2 inches 3 lines; length of tail inch.
The two specimens I possess were obtained in Little Namaqualand, and were found under a loose
stone, in a burrow like what is formed by an earthworm.
TYPHLINE CUVIERII, Wieg. Herpet. Mexican.-page 11. Bum. et Bib. Erpet. Gen. tom. v.
page 836. Acontias ccecus, Cuv. Reg. Animal, 1st edition, tom. ii. page 60.
Inhabits the Cape Colony; specimens are rarely obtained.
APARALLACTUS, n. g.
Ch. Gen. Head the same breadth as the neck. Body long, slender, and of equal thickness. Tail
tapered. Teeth conical, pointed, and thinly set; the last of maxilla} rather longest. Nostril in the nasal
plate. Frenal plate wanting. Preocular and postocular plates, one each. Pupil circular. Plates of head,