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Museum Leyd.
Lygosoma melanopogon, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 723.
Inhabits New Holland, New Guinea, and Timor.
30. Riopa bougainvillii, Gray Annals of Natural History 2 332.
Scincus bougainvillii, Cocteau.
Inhabits New Holland.
31. Lygosoma australis, Gray Annals of Natural History 2 332.
Inhabits New Holland, Museum Chatham.
32. Chiamela duvaucellii, Gray Annals of Natural History 2 333.
Scincus duvaucellii, Cocteau. Museum Paris. fide Bibron. Museum British.
Inhabits Australia, King George's Sound, Museum Paris.
33. Tetradactylus decresiensis, Peron. Cuv. Gray Annals of Natural
History 2 233. Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 764.
Inhabits Australia, King George's Sound, Kangaroo Island.
34. Tridactylus decresiensis, Peron. Gray Annals of Natural History 2
333.
Hemiergis decresiensis, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 766.
Zignis decresiensis, Fitz.
Inhabits Australia, Kangaroo Island.
35. Ronia catenulata, t. 4 f. 1. Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
Family GYMNOPHTHALMIDAE.
36. Cryptoblepharis poecilopleurus, Gray Annals of Natural History 1 335.
Ablepharis poecilopleurus, Weigm. N. Act. Nat. Cuv. 17 183 t. 8 f. 1. A.
peronii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 813. A. leschenaultii, Coct. Mag.
Zool t. 1.
Crypt. peronii, Coct. Etudes, t.
Scincus boutonii, Desjard.
S. arenarius and S. furcatus, Museum Leyd.
Inhabits New Holland, Java, and Isle of France.
37. Cryptoblepharis lineo-ocellatus.
Ablepharis lineo-ocellatus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 817.
Inhabits New Holland, Museum Paris.
Family LIALISIDAE.
38. Lialis burtonii, t. 3 f. 1 t. 5 f. 4. Gray Proceedings of the
Zoological Society 1834 134. Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 831.
Inhabits Australia, Western Australia.
Family PYGOPIDAE.
39. Pygopus lepidopus, Merrem Syn. 77.
Bipes lepidopode, Lacep. Ann. Museum H. N. 4 193, 209 t. 55 f. 1.
Sheltopusik novae hollandiae, Oppell.
Hysteropus lepidopus, Boug.
H. novae hollandiae, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 832.
Inhabits New Holland.
There are sometimes some scales between the anterior frontal plates.
40. Delma fraseri, t. 4 f. 3 Gray Zool. Misc.
Inhabits New Holland, Liverpool Plains ? Western Australia, J. Gould.
Family RHODONIDAE.
41. Rhodona punctata, Gray Annals of Natural History 2 335.
Brachystopus lineato-punctatus, A. Smith manuscript ? Dumeril and Bibron
Erp. Gen. 5 779.
Inhabits New Holland, South Africa, Dumeril !
42. Soridia lineata, t. 3 f. 2 Gray Annals of Natural History 2 335.
Prepaeditus lineatus, Dumeril and Bibron 5 788.
Inhabits Australia, Western Australia, J. Gould, common.
43. Chelomeles quadrilineatus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 5 774.
Inhabits New Holland, Museum Paris.
Family APRASIADAE.
44. Aprasia pulchella, t. 4 f. 2 Gray Annals of Natural History 2 331.
Inhabits Western Australia.
Family GECKOTIDAE.
45. Platydactylus ornatus, Gray.
Phelsuma ornata, Gray King's Voyage 2 428.
Inhabits New Holland.
46. Phyllodactylus strophurus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 397 t. 32
f. 1.
Inhabits West Coast of Australia, Shark Bay, Quoy and Gaimard.
47. Phyllodactylus porphyreus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 393.
Gecko porphyreus, Daud.
Sphaerodactylus porphyreus, Wagler.
Inhabits New Holland.
48. Phyllodactylus lesueurii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 392.
Inhabits New Holland and New Guinea.
49. Diplodactylus vittatus, Gray Proceedings of the Zoological Society
1832 40.
Phyllodactylus vittatus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 400.
Inhabits New Holland, Liverpool Plains.
50. Peropus variegatus.
Hemidactylus variegatus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 353.
Inhabits West Coast of Australia, Shark Bay, and Van Diemen's Land.
51. Phyllurus platurus, Cuv. R. A. 2 58. P. cuvieri, Borg.
Lacerta platura, Shaw. White Journal New South Wales 246 t. 3 f. 2. L.
discosura, Lacep.
Stellio phyllurus, Schneider. S. platurus, Daud.
Gecko platicaudus, Schinz.
Agama platyura and A. discosura, Merrem.
Gymnodactylus platurus, Wagler.
G. phyllurus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 428.
Cyrtodactylus platurus, Gray.
Inhabits New Holland.
52. Phyllurus miliusii, Bory St. Vincent Dict. Class H. N. 7 183 t.
Cyrtodactylus miliusii, Gray.
Gymnodactylus miliusii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 450 t. 33 f. 1.
Inhabits New Holland, Museum Paris.
Family AGAMIDAE.
53. Chlamydosaurtis kingii, Gray King's Voyage Australia 2 424 t. Dumeril
and Bibron Erp. Gen. 4 441 t. 45. Inhabits West Coast of Australia,
Careening Bay, A. Cunningham, Esquire, Port Nelson. Captain Grey sent a
fine specimen of this species to the Museum during his travels.
54. Lophura lesueurii, Gray Syn. Griffith A. K. 60.
Istiurus lesueurii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 4.
Inhabits Australia, New Holland.
55. Grammatophora barbata, Kaup Isis. Gray. Dumeril and Bibron ?
Agama barbata, Cuv. R. A. 2 35.
Inhabits New Holland.
56. Grammatophora muricata, Kaup Isis 1827 621. Gray. Dumeril and Bibron.
Lacerta muricata, Shaw Zool. 3 t. 63 f. 1.
Agama muricata, Daud. A. jacksoniensis, Kuhl. Guerin Icon t. 3 f.
Amphibolus muricatus, Wiegmann.
Inhabits New Holland.
Var. 1 diemenensis, Gray Annals of Natural History 1840.
Inhabits Van Diemen's Land.
Var. 2 adelaidensis. Gray Annals of Natural History 1840.
Inhabits Western Australia, Adelaide.
57. Grammatophora gaimardii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 4 470.
Inhabits West Coast of Australia, Shark Bay.
58. Grammatophora decresii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 4 472.
Inhabits Australia, Kangaroo Island.
Var. 1. Inhabits Western Australia.
59. Grammatophora cristata, Gray Annals of Natural History 1840.
Inhabits Western Australia, J. Gould.
60. Moloch horridus, t. 2. Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia, Captain G. Grey. J. Gould.
61. Uromastix griseus, Cuv. R. A. 2 34.
Inhabits "New Holland." Peron.
It is very probable that this species was established on a variety or
discoloured specimen of U. hardwickii, and it is very doubtful if it is a
native of New Holland.
Family CHAMAELEONIDAE.
62. Chamaeleo bifurcus, Brongn. Bull. Soc. Philom. number 36 f. 2.
Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 3 233 t. 27 f. 3.
Cham. bifidus, Latr.
Inhabits "New Holland."
Messieurs Dumeril and Bibron, in the work cited, state that this species
is found in New Holland, but I believe this is a mistake, as I have
neither seen nor heard of any species of this genus being found in
Australia.
Order 2. OPHIDII.
Family VIPERIDAE.
63. Acanthophis palpebrosa. A. cerastinus, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 100.
Guerin Icon. t. 24 f. 2.
A. brownii, Leach Zool. Misc. 1 t. 3.
Boa palpebrosa, Shaw Zool. 3 362.
Ophryas acanthophis, Merrem. 147.
Schlingende Natter, Merrem Beytr. 2 t. 3.
Vipera acanthophis, Schlegel. 2 605 t. 21 f. 21, 22, 23.
Inhabits New Holland.
Family COLUBRIDAE.
64. Tropidonotus mairii, Gray.
Inhabits New Holland, Dr. Mair, 39th Regiment Museum Chatham.
65. Leptophis punctulatus, Gray, King's Voyage 2 432.
Inhabits Careening Bay, James Hunter, Esquire.
66. Leptophis spilotus, Gray, King's Voyage 2 433.
Inhabits Australia Cape, P.P. King, R.N.
67. Naja custa, Schlegel Phy. Serp. 2 486.
Inhabits Australia, King George's Sound, Museum Paris.
68. Naja bungaroides, Schlegel Phys. Serp. 2 477.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson, and India, Museum Paris.
Var. 1. New Holland. Dr. Mair.
69. Trimesurus leptocephalus, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 196 t. 56 f. 1.
Crimson-sided Snake, Coluber porphyraicus, Shaw Zool. t. 110. New
Holland, t. 10.
Hurria porphyraica, Merrem.
Boa laevis, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 195.
Duberia porphyriaca, Fitz.
Acanthophis tortor, Lesson Voyage t. 6. Guerin Icon. t. 24 f. 1.
Pseudechis porphyriacus, Wagler.
Alecto, Wagler.
Oplocephalus, Cuv. R. Anim. 2 94.
Naja porphyraica, Schlegel. 1 181 2 479 t. 17 f. 6, 7.
Inhabits New Holland, Sidney.
70. Trimesurus olivaceus, Gray.
Inhabits New Holland, Dr. Mair.
71. Calimaria diadema, 65 f. 3. Schlegel Phys. Serp. 1 131 2 32.
Inhabits Australia, New Holland, Quoy and Dr. Mair.
Western Australia, Mr. Gould.
72. Calimaria annulata, Gray.
Snake, n. 2. White Journal Appendix 259 t. f. 2.
Inhabits New Holland, Dr. Lewis.
73. Tortrix pseudo-eryx, Schlegel Phys. Serp. 1 128 2 19.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson, Peron.
74. Tortrix australis, Gray.
Inhabits New Holland, Museum Chatham, n. 68.
75. Elaps psammophis, Schlegel Phys. Serp. 1 182 2 454.
Inhabits New Holland.
76. Elaps coronatus, Schlegel Phys. Serp. 1 184 2 454.
Inhabits New Holland.
77. Elaps gouldii, t. 5 f. 1. Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
78. Elaps ? lewisii, Gray.
Inhabits New Holland, Dr. Lewis.
Family BOIDAE.
79. Python spilotes.
P. punctatus, Merrem Tent. 150.
P. peronii, Cuv. R. A. Wagner, Icon. t. 1.
Coluber spilotes, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 195.
Echidna spilotes, Merrem.
Australian Snake, Shaw's Zool. 505.
Snake, n. 1. and 5. White Voyage Appendix 159 t. f. 5 and t. f. 1.
Inhabits New Holland, White. King George's Sound, Quoy.
Family HYDRIDAE.
80. Aspisurus laticaudatus.
Coluber laticaudatus, Linn. Museum Ad. t. 16 f. 1.
Platura fasciata, Latreille.
Pl. semi-fasciata, Reinw.
Laticauda imbricata, Laur.
Aspisurus laevis, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 197 t. 56 f. 3.
Hydrus colubrinus, Schlegel Phys. Serp. 514 t. 18 f. 18 to 22.
Inhabits New Holland.
81. Pelamis bicolor, Daud.
Anguis platura, Linn. S. N. 391.
Hydrophis platura, Latr.
Hydrus bicolor, Schneider.
Inhabits New Holland. Port Jackson, Forster.
82. Disteria doliata, Lacep. Ann. Museum 4 199 t. 57. f. 2.
Hydrophis schistosus, Daud. Schlegel Phys. Serp. 500.
Inhabits New Holland.
Order 3. CHELONIA.
Family CHELYDAE.
83. Platemys macquaria, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 2 458.
Hydraspis macquaria, Gray Syn. Rept. 1 40.
Emys macquaria, Cuv. R. Anim. 2 11.
Inhabits New Holland ?
84. Hydraspis australis, t. 6. new species.
Inhabits.
85. Chelodina longicollis, Gray Syn. Rep. 39. C. novae hollandae, Dumeril
and Bibron Erp. Gen. 2 445 t. 21 f. 2.
Testudo longicollis, Shaw Gen. Zool. 3 62 t. 16. Zool. New Hol. 1 19 t.
7.
Emys longicollis, Schw. Prod. 1 309, 433.
Hydraspis longicollis. Bell Zool. Journal 3 512.
Inhabits New Holland, Sydney.
86. Chelodina oblonga, t. 7 new species.
Inhabits Western Australia.
Family CHELONIADAE.
87. Chelonia caretta.
Testudo caretta, Solander manuscript Banks Icon. ined. in British Museum
n. 41, 42, 43.
Inhabits Sea. Latitude 37 South, December 23 1768. Captain Cook.
88. Chelonia imbricata.
Inhabits Sea, New Holland, New Guinea.
89. Chelonia mydas.
Testudo mydas, Solander manuscript. Banks Icon. ined. in British Museum
n. 39, 40.
Inhabits New Holland, Endeavour River, Cook's Voyage.
Order EMYDOSAURI.
Family CROCODILIDAE.
90. Crocodilus vulgaris, Cuv. Ann. Mus. 10 40 t. 1 f. 5 12 t. 2 f. 7.
Inhabits New Holland, Mouth of Endeavour River, Captain Cook.
Class AMPHIBIA.
Family RANIDAE.
91. Cystignathus peronii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 409.
Inhabits New Holland ? Peron.
92. Cystignathus dorsalis, Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
93. Crinia georgiana, Tschudi, 2 78.
Cystignathus georgianus, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 416.
Inhabits Australia, King George's Sound.
94. Heleioporus albopunctatus, tab. 1 f. 2 Gray Annals of Natural History
1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
Family HYLIDAE.
95. Litoria freycinetii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 504 t. 88 f. 2.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson.
90. Hyla peronii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 569.
Dendrohyas peronii, Tschudi, 75.
Inhabits New Holland, Peron.
97. Hyla coerulea.
Hyla cyanea, Daud. Schlegel. Dum.
Blue Frog, White Journal Appendix 248.
Rana australasiae, Schneider.
R. coerulea, Shaw Gen. Zool. 3 113. Daud. Mer.
Calamites cyanea, Fitz. Tschudi.
Calamites coerulea, Wagler.
Inhabits New Holland, New Guinea, Timor.
98. Hyla jervisiensis, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 580.
Inhabits New Holland, Jervis Bay.
99. Hyla lesueurii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 595. H. oculata, Peron
manuscript.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson.
100. Hyla ewingii, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 597.
Inhabits Van Diemen's Land.
101. Hyla citropa, Peron and Lesueur. Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 600.
Dendrohyas citropa, Tschudi, 75.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson.
102. Hyla aurea.
Rana aurea, Lesson Voyage Coq. t. 7 f. 2.
Hyla jacksoniensis, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 602.
Ranoidea jacksoniensis, Tschudi.
Inhabits New Holland, Port Jackson.
103. Hyla adelaidensis, t. 8 f. 2. Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
104. Hyla bioculata, t. 8 f. 1. Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
105. Uperoleja marmorata, Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Inhabits Western Australia.
Family BUFONIDAE.
106. Phreniscus australis, Dumeril and Bibron Erp. Gen. 8 725.
Bombinator australis, Gray Proceedings of the Zoological Society.
Inhabits New Holland.
107. Breviceps gouldii; Gray Annals of Natural History 1841.
Breviceps heliogabali, Gray, tab. 1 f. 1.
Inhabits Western Australia.
I have been induced to add to the foregoing list the following
observations on the more obscure and hitherto unknown genera and species.
RONIA, Gray. Head rather shelving, shielded with one transverse frontal
and two large vertebral plates, the hinder largest; the rostral plates
large, with two unequal superciliary plates. The nasal plate triangular,
interposed between the rostral plate and the frontal ones, with the
nostrils in its centre; loreal plates two, square; labial plates large;
ears none, only a very indistinct sunk dot in their place. Body
cylindrical; tail conical, tapering. Scales smooth, ovate, imbricate,
those of the belly 6-sided. The front limbs very small, rudimentary,
undivided; the hinder limbs moderately developed, ending in two very
unequal toes, with distinct claws.
35. Ronia catenulata, Gray, t. 4 f. 1.
Back grey, with eight series of small black dots, one dot on the centre
of each scale; cheeks black speckled; sides and beneath whitish.
Body 3 1/2, tail 2 1/2 inches.
Inhabits Western Australia. Mr. J. Gould.
The scales under the tail are rather larger, and the spots on the tail
are also rather larger than those on the back.
38. Lialis burtonii, t. 3 f. 1. Gray Proceedings of the Zoological
Society 1834 134. Dumeril and Bibron H. R. 831.
Pale brown, back with three longitudinal brown streaks, each occupying
half of two series of scales; the centre streak divided into two over the
nape and head, uniting together again over the tip of the nose.
Inhabits Western Australia. J. Gould.
Family Pygopidae.
Head short, with two or three pairs of narrow frontal shields, similar
to, and behind the nasal shield, with two odd large vertebral shields;
nostrils oblong, in the suture between the outer angle of the nasal
shield and the front loreal shields; ears distinct, tympanum sunk; eyes
surrounded with a series of scales; belly with two or four series of
broad 6-sided ventral shields; tail with three series of broader shields,
the central the broadest; limbs two, rudimentary, undivided, scaly, on
the side of the vent; throat covered with small scales; lower labial
plates large.
Pygopus. The scales of the back keeled, with a series of numerous
praeanal pores; pupil round; the hinder limbs elongate.
Delma. The scales smooth; praeanal pores none; pupil elliptical, erect;
hinder limbs short.
42. Soridia lineata, t. 3, f. 2.
M. Bibron in the work quoted observes: La Soridia lineata de M. Gray
n'est pas different d'une espece de Scincoiden du Cap que nous avons vue
dans la collection de M. Smith a Chatham et de laquelle nous avions pris
une description qui s'est malheureusement egaree. Page 787. And again:
Nous croyons que c'est par erreur que M. Gray a indique cette espece
comme provenant de la Nouvelle Hollande, nous pensons plutot qu'elle est
originaire du Cap, et la meme que celle dont nous parlions tout a l'heure
ou le Scincoidien que d'accord avec le Dr. Smith nous nous proposions
d'appeller Praepeditus lineatus. Page 788.
I do not know what Dr. Smith's animal may be, but the account of
Praepeditus, given by M. Bibron, is only a translation of my description
of Soridia! It is not probable that this animal should come both from
Australia and the Cape. It is certainly from New Holland.
44. APRASIA.
The head small, shielded; muzzle rounded, rather produced, with two pairs
of large frontal shields, covering the cheeks, a large six-sided
elongated vertebral shield, and a pair of small superciliar shields;
rostral and labial shields large, few; the nostrils small, in the sutures
between the tip of the front upper labial, and the anterior frontal
plates; eyes circular, edged with a series of small scales; pupil round;
ears none; body and tail cylindrical, tapering, covered with hexangular
scales, the ventral shields rather broader; limbs none.
By some mistake the slip containing the description of this genus in my
synopsis of the slender-tongued Saurians got into the wrong place with
the Tiliquae instead of being near Anguis.
56. Grammatophora muricata.
The young animals have a series of small spines on each side of the base
of the tail, and a series of spots on each side of the back.
Mr. Gould has brought home two very distinct local varieties.
Var. 1 diemenensis. Young dark-coloured, with vermiculated marks on the
chin, chest, and abdomen. The adult dark, beneath gray, varied with black
spots placed in irregular lines.
Inhabits Van Diemen's Land.
Var. 2 adelaidensis. Young pale above and beneath, with three broad
diverging black lines on the chin, leaving an oblong spot in the centre
of the throat, with a broad streak on the chest separated into three
lines on the abdomen, which unite together again on the pubis. The adult
gray, with a few spots beneath.
58. Grammatophora decresii, Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gen. 4 472. ?
Tail conical, with nearly regular scales, the base rather swollen,
without any series of spines on the side; the nape and back with a series
of rather larger, low, compressed scales; back with small sub-equal
scales, and a few larger ones in cross series; side of the head near the
ears and side of neck with two or three ridges crowned with short conical
spines. In spirits black, yellow spotted and varied, beneath gray,
vermiculated with blackish; tail black-ringed.
Inhabits Western Australia.
So much smaller than G. muricata that I might have considered them as
young animals if one of them had not had the body filled with well-formed
eggs; and the tail is much shorter in comparison than even in the young
of that species.
They agree in most points with the description given by Messieurs Dumeril
and Bibron, but not in the colour and in the size of the tail. The
specimens in our collection greatly differ in their colour, but are all
very different from any other species.
59. Grammatophora cristata. Nape with a crest of distinct, rather short,
curved, compressed, spinose scales; back and tail with a series of
compressed keeled scales, forming a slight keel; occiput with separate
short strong conical spines: sides of the neck and back with folds
crowned with series of short compressed scales; base of the tail with
some scattered larger scales. In spirits, dull olive; crown black with
large white spots, beneath black; middle of the belly, and undersides of
the base of the tail white; tail with black rings at the end; feet
whitish.
Inhabits Western Australia. Mr. J. Gould.
The underside is coloured somewhat like G. maculatus (G. gaimardii,
Dumeril and Bibron) but the sides of the head near the ears are spinose,
and the nape is distinctly crested.
But as Dumeril and Bibron's species is only described from a single
specimen which is in a bad state, and has lost its epidermis, and as the
description itself, though long, refers chiefly to parts which do not
differ in the species of the genus, this species may prove not to be
different from it.
These authors, in giving the character of Grammatophora gaimardii and G.
decresii, appears to place great reliance on the one having tubular and
the other non-tubular femoral pores, which is a fact entirely dependent
on the state in which the animal might be at the time when it was put
into the spirits, as I have verified by comparing numerous specimens of
different reptiles furnished with these pores.
But in this genus the size of the pores is apparently of less importance
than in many others, for they appear to be quite invisible in some states
of the animal: thus out of many specimens of G. muricata brought by Mr.
Gould from Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia, eight specimens have
no visible pores; these specimens differ from the others in being of a
rather paler colour beneath. This state of the pores may entirely depend
on the manner in which they were preserved, for all these specimens had a
slit made into their abdomen to admit the spirits; while in all the
specimens in which this care had not been taken the pores are distinctly
seen, sometimes moderately sized, and at others tubularly produced.
60. MOLOCH, Gray.
Body depressed, covered with irregular, unequal, small, granular plates,
each furnished with a more or less prominent central spine, and with a
series of large, conical, convex, acute spines; head and limbs covered
with similar scales and spines; head small, with very large spines over
each of the eyebrows; tail with irregular rings of large acute spines;
femoral and subanal pores none; teeth small, subequal; toes 5.5, short,
covered above and below with keeled scales; claws long, acute.
The external appearance of this Lizard is the most ferocious of any that
I know, the horns of the head and the numerous spines on the body giving
it a most formidable aspect. The scales of the back are small and
unequal; they gradually increase in size as they approach the base of the
conical spines, which is surrounded with a ring of larger scales with
longer spines; the large spines are conical; rather compressed, spinulose
below, smooth and acute at the tip, and are usually furnished with a
sharp-toothed ridge on the front edge, and sometimes on both. These
spines only consist of a horny sheath, placed on a fleshy process of the
exact form and appearance of the spines they bear.
The scales of the underside of the body are of the same form as those of
the back, and are furnished with similar but smaller and less produced
spines. The back of the neck of the two specimens I have seen is
furnished with a large rounded protuberance like a cherry, covered with
large granular spinous scales, and armed on each side with a large
conical spine; but I do not know if this is common to the species or
merely accidental in these individuals; at any rate it adds considerably
to the singularity of their appearance.
I have named this genus, from its appearance, after "Moloch, horrid
king."
60. Moloch horridus, t. 2.
Pale yellow, marked with dark regular spots; sides and beneath with
black-edged dark red similar spots.
Inhabits Western Australia. The Honourable Captain G. Grey, and John
Gould, Esquire.
The marks on the body are very definite, but from the irregularity of
their form they are not easily described.
The lips are dark brown, with two streaks up to the small spines on the
forehead; there is a dark cross-band from the base of the two large horns
over the eyebrows, running behind, and then dividing into broad streaks,
one along each side of the centre of the back of the neck to between the
shoulders, crossing the nuchal swelling. In the middle of the back there
is a very large black patch nearly extending from side to side, and over
the loins are two oblong longitudinal black spots; the dark lines
commencing from the lower angle of each eye extend along the upper part
of each side to the upper part of the groin; the front of the fore- and
hind-legs, and the sides are marked with similar dark bands.
A dark band commences from the hinder part of the lower lip, merging in
the throat, and expanding out so as to be united together at the back
part of the chin. There is a large rather oblong spot in the centre of
the chest and the hinder part of the abdomen, separated from each other
by a large somewhat triangular spot on each side of the middle of the
abdomen.
Body 4 1/2 inches.
This is the Spinous Lizard exhibited by Mr. Gould at the meeting of the
Zoological Society in October 1840.
64. Tropidonotus mairii, Gray.
Olive, beneath pale olive, vertebral scales darker, slightly spotted;
labial shield pale, dark edged. The dorsal and lateral scales keeled,
placed in longitudinal series; the keels continued, equal; chin shields
two pairs, long; throat scaly on the sides, shielded in the middle;
loreal shields equal; one high anterior, and three small posterior ocular
shields; temples shielded; nostrils in the suture between the scales; the
anterior frontal narrow, moderate; eyes large, convex, pupil round.
Inhabits New Holland, Dr. Mair, 39th Regiment.
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