fclliill PROCEEDINGS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ional ^ocktiT of §ictoriii, VOL. VI. (New Series). Edited under the Authority of the Council. ISSUED JANUARY, 1894. THE AUTHORS OV THE SKVEKAL PAPEllS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOUNDNESS OP THE OPINIONS GIVEN AND FOR THE ACCURACY OF TOE STATEMENTS MADE THEREIN. MELBOURNE : FOED & SON, PEINTEES, DEUMMOND STEEET, CAELTON. AGESTS TO THE iiVCIETY: WILLIAMS & NOEGATE, 14 HEKEIKTTA STREET, COVEIS'T GARDEN, LONDON. To whom all communications for transmission to the Royal Society of Victoria, from all parts of Europe, should be sent. 1894. il0j)iil c^0ri.ctir of 0ii:t0riii 1893. iOntvon. HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. JOHN ADRIAN LOUIS HOPE, G.C.M G. SEVENTH EARL OF HOPETOUN. PROFESSOR W. 0. KERNOT, M.A., C.E. E. J. WHITE, F.R.A.S. | H. K. RUSDEN, F.R.G.S. '^)on. I^rtasuvcr. C. R. BLACKETT, F.C.S. ^)0tt. ^Secretaries. PROFESSOR W. BALDWIN SPENCER, M.A. ARTHUR DENDY, D.Sc. gjoit. ICibr.iriiin. E. F. J. LOVE, M.A. Cortnctl. W. H. ARCHER, P.L.S., F.I.A. J. W. BARRETT, M.D. F. A. CAMPBELL, C.E. JOHN DENNANT, F.G.S. R. L. J. ELLERY, C.M.G., F.R.S., F.R.A.S. G. S. GRIFFITHS, F.R.G.S. H. R. HOGG. J. JAMIESON,! M.D. PROFESSOR T. R. LYLE, M.A. PROFESSOR ORME MASSON, JI.A., D.Sc, etc. H. MOORS. REV. E. H. SUGDEN, B.A. CONTENTS OF VOLUME VI, RT. I.— Notes on the Eocene Strata of the Bellarine PeninsuLi, with brief references to other dei^osits (with Phxto I.) By T. S. Hall, M.A., and G. B. Pritchard ... 1 II. — The Lizards indi^enovis to Victoria (with Plate II.) By A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.Sc, and C. Frost, F.L.S. 24 III. — Further Notes on Australian Hydroids, with descriptions of some New Species (with Plates III., IV., V., VI.) By W. M. Bale, F.E.M.S. 93 IV. — The Hatching of a Peripatus Egg. By Arthur Dendy, D.Sc. ... ... ... ... ... lis V. — A New Thermoelectric Phenomenon (with Plate VII.) By W. HuEY Steele, M.A. ... ... ... 120 VI. — Glaciation of the Western Highlands, Tasmania (with Plate VIIL) ByE. J. Dunn ... ... .. 133 VII. — Further Note on the Glacial Deposits of Bacchus Marsh. By Graham Officer, B.Sc, and Lewis Balfour, B.A. 139 VIII. — Notes on the Trawling Expedition off Lakes Entrance. By T. S. Hart, M.A. ... ... ... ... 144 IX. — Some Statistics showing the extent of the Damage done to Members of the Medical Profession by the Abuse of Alcohol. By James W. Barrett, M.D. ... 147 X. — An Operculum from the Lilydale Limestone (with Plate IX.) By E. Etheridge, Junr., Corr. Member. 150 XL — Additional Notes on the Lilydale Limestone. By Eev. A. W. Cresswell, M.A. ... ... ... .. 156 XII. — Note from the Biological Laboratory of the Melbourne University : — On a Crayfish with abnormally developed Appendages. By Arthur Dendt, D.Sc. 160 XIII. — Eesults of Observations with the Kater's Invariable Pendulums, made at the Melbourne Observatory, June to September, 1893. By Pietro Baracchi, F.E.A.S. ... ... ... ... ... 162 XIV. — Notes on some new or little-known Land Planarians from Tasmania and South Australia (with Plate X.) By Arthur Dendy, D.Sc. ... ... ... 178 vi. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. XV. — The largest Australian Trilobito hithei-to discovered (with Plate XI.) By R. Etheridge, Junr., Corr. Member. ... ... ... ... ... 180 XVI. — Preliminary Survey of Eucalyptus-Oils of Victoria. By W. Percy Wilkinson ... ... ... ... 195 XVII.— Report of the Antarctic Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria. By G. S. Griffiths... ... ... 211 XVIII.— Report of the Gravity Survey Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria. By E. F. J. Love, M.A. ... 213 XIX. — A Description of a New Pendulum Apparatus, with Half-Seconds Pendulums. By R. L. J. Ellert, C.M.G., F.R.S., F.R.A.S. ... ... ... 227 XX. — The New Chain Test Range at the Melbourne Observa- tory. By R. L.J. Ellert, C.M.G., F.R.S., F.R.A.S. 233 Meetings OF THE Royal Society, 1893 ... ... ... 235 Annual Meeting, 1893 ... ... ... ... ... 235 Annual Report FOR 1892 ... ... ... ... 235 Balance Sheet for 1892 ... ... ... ... 23S Ordinary Meetings, 1893 ... ... ... ... 240 Laws of the Royal Society ... ... ... ... 247 List OF Members, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 257 List of Institutions and Learned Societies which Receive Copies OF the Society's Publications ... ... ... 264 Art. I. — Notes on the Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsida with brief references to other deposits. (With Plate I.) By T. S. Hall, M.A., aud G. B. Pritchard. [Eead 9tli March, 1893]. Our chief inducement for visiting the Bellarine Peninsula was the object of settling on pala^ontological evidence whether the small outcrop marked on the maps {\ sheet 23 S.W.) belongs to eocene or to miocene age, the two sets of beds having been else- where confused. Certain peculiarities of the deposits however induced us to extend our observations to other portions of the district where similar beds are exposed. The Peninsula consists of a central mass of the Jurassic fresh- water series, an outlying portion of the Barrabool and Otway beds. Overlying these beds in their northern area occurs the Older Basalt, aflbrding by its decomposition the rich soil for which that part of the district is so well known. Surrounding this central mass is a ring of marine eocene beds. Exposures of the latter occur on the northern and southern boundaries where- ever the natural conditions afford an opportunity of seeing them. On the eastern and western sides no exposures are to be seen as the thick mantle of upper tertiary beds covers the slopes and flats and hides the underlying series from view. There is little doubt however that the ring is complete, as to the westward the (jreelong eocenes, as represented by the Corio Bay, Moorabool Valley and Belmont beds are well developed, while to the eastwai'd the Mornington beds occur just across the bay, and as Mr. Daintree reports* similiar beds were passed through in the QueensclifF boi-e. The Jurassic rocks, although occuping such a large extent of the peninsula, show only one small outcrop just to the westward of Portarlington.f A syncline occurs between the Bellarine beds * Pad. Rep., 1861-62, A 43. t i Slieet 23 N.E. Note. B 2 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. and those of the Barrabools, the latter dipping easterly and showing in a series of outcrops the beds proved in the Bellarine bores.* The Older Volcanic. Along the cliffs at Portarlington the older volcanic rock occurs on both sides of the pier and exhibits various degrees of decom- position. In one place it is quarried for road metal, while to the east it is a soft unctuous clay which can be traced along the cliffs gradually S'howing more and more its true character till it disappears below sea level. In this locality it is overlain by coarse ferruginous grits which are probably of upper tertiary age. Near the Clifton Springs it forms the greater part of the cliffs. Here, at about thirty feet above sea level, it is covered by a conglomerate consisting of sub-angular and well rounded pebbles up to four or live inches in diameter, and comprising quartz in various forms, hard blue metamorphic sandstones, nodular schists, and other altered argillaceous rocks with beds of sand and clay. Towards the top it gradually becomes finer and more sandy. At the Drysdale Pier hard ferruginous grits come down to the water's edge, the volcanic rock having been here, as elsewhere, deeply denuded. At the next point, about a quarter of a mile west of the pier, the beach floor and cliffs consist of a volcanic ash or breccia, full of angular fragments of scoriaceous basalt up to an inch in diameter. The deposit is well and evenly bedded and has a dip some degrees west of north at about 20°. Decom- position has considerably affected the strata and the colours are very variable, being blue, gray, dark-green, fawn and chocolate. From here, for about 2^ miles westward, these ash beds are almost continuously exposed to view on the beach floor with intermissions to be mentioned presently. In s'ome places the cliffs ai'e seen to be almost entirely composed of ash overlain by a vai'iable thickness of upper tertiary clays and grits. The ash beds gradually sink to sea level and disappear near the boundary between the parishes of Bellarine and Moolap, where they are overlain by eocene beds. These continue for nearly half a mile, when ash beds again appear from beneath them with a north- easterly dip. We roughly estimated a thickness of 300 feet of » \ Sheet 24 S.E. Note 7. Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 3 ash to be exposed liere. At the place marked Ad 12 on the \ Sheet, which is the most prominent point between Clifton and Point Henry, a dyke of fine, dense basalt occurs in the ash. The included frao-ments in the ash beds here are of larger size, some being upwards of two feet in diameter, and consist pi'incipally of masses of basalt, though a few embedded blocks of brownish sand- stone, and of an altered yellow argillaceous rock were visible. The latter are probably derived from the underlying mesozoic rocks, though considerably altered in appearance and hardness, they at any rate do not resemble any of our Silurian rocks. From the size of the ejected masses, and from the presence of the dyke, it is probable that we are here close to a vent of the Older Volcanic rock, the greater part of the core having been removed by denudation. Overlying the ash at this point and on its eroded surface occurs a sheet of polyzoal rock. That it does not consist of ejected fragments is clear from its well bedded structure and from its constant dip. It occurs in large tabular masses and is nowhere seen overlain by the volcanic rock. It has for the most part been removed on the higher parts of the beach, where loose blocks of it occur ; but at low-tide it may be seen to form a fairly continuous sheet passing out under water to the north. In most places it is altered to a crystalline reddish rock, the weathered surfaces of which are crowded with fossils standing up in i-elief, and the usual cream colour, which charac- terises the rock in other localities, prevails. The fossils are principally polyzoa though brachiopods, lamellibranchs and gastro- pods occur. Similar rock occurs at Sutherland's Creek, near Maude, and again in the Moorabool Valley,* and is at the latter place not associated with igneous rock. At the parish boundary, (Locality 1) where we first noted the eocene beds, the dip of the ash beds and of the former is approximately to the north-west .and the volcanic series can be seen passing benea»th the fossiliferous strata. So that in these two places we have evidence, that here, the older volcanic rocks are antecedent to the eocene series, and not overlying them as indicated in Daintree's report on the districtf and by the colouring and lettering on \ sheets 23 S.E. and 23 S.W. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic, vol. iv , N.S., p. 11. f Pari. Report, 1861-62, A 43. b2 4 Proceedings of the Royal Society of ]^ictoria. In the \ sheets (23 S.W. and 23 S.E.) dealing with this portion of the district, some confusion exists as to the volcanic rock;?. The large outcrop forming the Bellarine Hills is mai-ked as older volcanic, of which it is regarded as forming a typical locality. On the west side of the road from Portarlington to Drysdale, the lettering in the two places indicates newer pliocene overlying older volcanic in one case close to the cliff, while the cliff section shows an outcrop coloured to represent lower volcanic (' pliocene '), but not lettered. On \ sheet 23 S.W. the same outcrop is shown running along past Clifton Springs, with one intermission, to a short distance past the dyke we have alluded to. This inter- mission should not occur, as the ash beds crop out continuously along the beach at this place. Both these separated portions of the same outcrop are marked V. 1, 2, 3, that is, as the legend shows, lower volcanic ('pliocene') basalt dolerite, anamesite and lava, while V. 4 (ash, conglomerate, &c.) is omitted, although a section of over two miles in length is exposed. This is not all, for a note near the parish boundary and close to the volcanic outcrop states that "the basalt outcrop of the Bellarine Hills probably underlies the pliocene tertiary sands and ironstones as far south as the heads of the creeks falling into Corio Bay." So that this outcrop is coloured ' pliocene' and alluded to as 'miocene;' while the true state of the case is that it is uncon- formably overlain by the clays which were then called miocene or oligocene but which are now regai'ded as eocene. The Curlewis Eocenes. This will be a convenient name for this section, as the hamlet of Curlewis is situated on the Portarlington Road, about a mile to the southward. It is probable, as will presently appear, that the sequence of eocene beds here is similar to what occurs in the Moorabool Valley,* that is, that the polyzoal rock, where it occurs, is the underlying member of the series, though we were unable to absolutely prove the succession. At the first place where we noted the eocene beds (parish boundary), they consisted of blue clays resting on ash beds, the « rioc. l!oy. £oc. Vic, vol. iv., N.S., pp. 9 et scq. Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 5 dip of both deposits being to the seraward. This dip is the most marked peculiarity of the beds in this locality. There occurs a band of about six feet in thickness of marked character which can be traced, with but few intermissions, for two miles along the coast. Its upper portion consists of about three feet of dark- brown earthy limestone, very sandy, and containing casts of fossils; below this, is about 18 inches of gray clay and then about tlie same thickness of a I'ock similar to the upper band, but more easily weathered and of a lighter hue. Both above and below this band, occur stiff blue clays similar to those of Mornington, Spring Creek and the Gellibrand. The angle of dip averages about 25°. In some places it is as low as 10° and near the western end of the section for about 30 yards it dips at 45°. Dipping as the beds do, this hard band stands out from the softer clays like a wall, usually from two to three feet above the almost level floor of the beach. The beds as shown by this band are contorted and faulted. At the parish boundary, we can on ascending the low cliff, see the band coming in to the shore from the north-east and winding with a serpentine curvature. It sweeps round the point in one curve, the dip swinging through an arc of 90°, from a few degrees east of north to a few degrees north of west. Numerous small faults occur, trending north-west, the throw being usually a {qw inches and rarely exceeding a foot, and the hade nearly vertical. In one place we counted six faults in about 50 yards Along this outcrop the easterly beds are shifted to the north, or in other words, the downthrow is to the south-west. "VVe thus have displayed a beautiful series of step faults. In one place on the curve however, the band between two faults has gone out into deep water, and although the tide was low we could not find any trace of the band in situ. Actual measurement showed a lateral displacement of over 30 feet while the loose blocks in the water, which stopped further measurement, showed the direction in which displacement had taken place. The clay above and below the band is full of nodules of iron pjrrites. In places slight hollows on the beach are full of loose pieces washed out, and covered with a crust of limonite. Occas- ionally, below the band the pyrites has oxidized in situ, and has stained the clay yellow. This decomposition is however more frequent in the clay overlying the band and the general tint is consequently of a lighter hue. 6 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Blocks of the earthy limestone band occur on the beach at this point, above high-water mark, and lithologically closely resemble eocene rocks forming the cliffs on the western shores of Corio Bay. From these blocks we procured the following fossils r Dimya dissimilis, Tate. Pecten Yahlensis, T. Woods. Spondylus pseudoradula, McCoy. Waldheimia divaricata, Tate. Polyzoa. Echini spines. The clays of this place (Locality 1) however, yielded a far greater number of forms, as shown by the following list, which is the result of but a few hours work. List of Fossils from Locality \. Class, Zoantharia. Placotrochus deltoideus, Duncan. Flabellum Victorife, Duncan. Conosmilia anomala, Duncan. Class, Echi7wdermata. Cidaroid spines. Class, Polyzoa. Numerous genera and species. Class, Palliobranchiata. Terebratuliua Scoulari, Tate. Class, La me I libra nchia ta . Pecten dichotomalis, Tate. ,, Foulcheri, T. Woods. ,, (Amussium) Zitteli, Hutton. Lima Bassii, T. Woods. Limea transenna, Tate. Modiolaria singularis, Tate. Crenella n. sp. aff. globularis. Nucula tumida, T. Woods. ,, Atkinsoni, Johnston. Leda Huttoni, T. Woods. „ apiculata, Tate. „ obolella, Tate. Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. Pectunculus laticostatus, Quoy and Gaimard. Macrodon Cainozoicus, Tate. Cuculhea Corioensis, McCoy. Cardita sp. Chama lamellifera, T. Woods. Chione? n. sp. Myadora tenuilirata, Tate. Chi<:s, Gastropoda. Ranella Prattii, T. Woods. Triton tortirostris, Tate. Fusus craspedotus, Tate. Peristernia lintea, Tate. sp. Zemira praecursoria, Tate. Voluta antiscalaris, McCoy. McCoyii, T. Woods. ,, n. sp. = Spring Creek. ,, (Volutoconus) n. sp. afF. conoidea. Lyria harpularia, Tate. Miti-a atractoides, Tate. Marginella propinqua, Tate. „ sub-Wentworthi, Tate. „ niicula, Tate, sp. Ancillaria hebera, Hutton. „ pseudaustralis, Tate. Columbella clathrata, Tate, m.s. sp. Cancellaria Etheridgei, Johnston, „ n. sp. Pleurotoma sp. Drillia sp. Mangilia sp. ? „ sp. Raphitoma n. sp. Pusianella atl. hemiothone. ,, n. sp. Conus heterospira, Tate. Cyprsea brachypyga, Tate. 8 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Semicassis transenna, Tate. Cassidaria gradata, Tate. Natica Hamiltonensis, T. Woods. Crepidula sp. ? Seal aria sp, Turritella Murrayana, Tate, sp. sp. Vermetus sp. Niso psila, T. Woods. Cerithiopsis n. sp. Delphinula aster, T. Woods. Scaphander fragilis, Tate, m.s. Ringicula sp. Cylichna exigua, T. W^oods. Class, Scaphopoda. Entalis ^Nlantelli, Zittel. „ subfissura, Tate. Class, Pisces. Otoliths. SUMMARV FOR LOCALITY 1. Class. Xo. of Species. Zoantharia - . - - Palliobranchiata Lamellibranchiata - Gastropoda . - . - Scaphopoda - - - - Pisces - - . . . 3 1 19 4(5 2 1 Total - - - . 72 At the point where the polyzoal rock occurs, and on the west side of the gully two intersecting faults, trending N.E. and N., are distinctly traceable on the beach, as they have lowered the eocene blue clay into the ash beds. Each of these faults is visible for several yards, as the clay, being softer than the volcanic rock at this point, has been removed by the waves to about a foot below Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 9 the level of the latter. A third fault, completing the triangle and having the N.AV. trend of all the other faults observed, probably occurs to the westward, but was not visible. The position of the clay beds here, lends force to the view already stated that the polyzoal rock underlies the clay, as close at hand the limestone is seen in situ in contact with the volcanic rock ; while the downthrow of a fault has been necessary to bring' the clay to its level. About two hundred yards west of this point (Locality 2 on plan) we again find the band, described above, making its appearance, and being traceable for nearly half-a-mile along the shore before disappearing beneath the upper tertiary beds to the west. At the former place where we described it, it has a northerly dip and the lowest beds are on the landward side. Here however, the dip is reversed and the lower beds are to the seaward, a syncline running N.E. and S.W. The strata can be fairly termed contorted. A system of faults with a north-westerly trend is again developed, with the same average throw. Our time did not allow us to work out the directions of the downthrow, the matter being complicated by the contortion of the strata. To show the way in which contortion has taken place a few examples may be given. At one place the band dips W. — S. — E. at 10°, the radius of curvature of the outcrop being about 20 feet and the upper beds being inside the curve. Then the western end of the band curves round, dipping S.E. — S. — S.W. at 25°, the radius of curvature being 30 feet and the upper beds being on the outside of the curve. The band is curved three or four times in a similar manner to the westward of this point within a distance of a few hundred yards, and it is at this end of the section that we noted the dip as 45° for 30 feet of strike. Although the beds ai-e so much disturbed the number of crushed shells does not seem greater than usual. Even close to the faults, large shells were pei-fect. Some specimens which were in contact with pyrites nodules were crushed, but for the most part the fossils were beautifully preserved. From the earthy limestone band of this locality (2) we gathered the following forms : — - Waklheimia divaricata, Tate, insolita, Tate. 10 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Dimya dissimilis, Tate. Pecten Foulcheri, T. Woods. Chione Cainozoica (?), T. Woods. Leda sp. (cast). Pectunculus laticostatus, Quoy and Gaimard. Cypraea leptorhyncha, McCoy. As before, however, the clay beds were the most prolific in fossils, and we give a list of the species gathered, together with references showing their occurrence in some other localities. In this table, the forms gathered at Locality 1 but which were not obtained at Locality 2 are marked with the sign f. -• L- m,. ^'M Fossils from Curlewis. S "SB. ■? % is = o a. ^ S iH w M^O au Class, Rhizopoda. Order, Foraminifera. Biloculina sp. - . X - X ? Miliolina sp. - - X X X ? Orbitolites sp. - - - - X Other genera and species - X X X Class, Actinozoa. Order, Zoantharia. Flabelliim Victorise, Dnncau X X X X Placotrochus deltoideus, Duncan X X X X Conosmilia anomala, Duncan - X X X X Class, Echinodermata. Lovenia Forbesi, Duncan - X - t Cidaroid spines X X - X Class, Polyzoa. Numerous genera and species - X X X Class, Palliubranchiata. Waldheimia divaricata, Tate - - - t Terebratulina Scoulari, Tate - - X X X Class, Lamellibranchiala. Ostraea ? n.sp. - - - Dimya dissimilis, Tate X X X X Pecten dichotomalis, Tate - X - . „ Yahlensis, T. Woods - - X X X „ Foulcheri, T. Woods - X X X X t „ (Amussium) Zitteli, Hutton - X X X X Lima Bassii, T. Woods X X - X t Limea transenna, Tate - X - X Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 11 B g.^ ^M >, . Fossils from Curlcwis. S £■.5 \l ? ai (S 5(S Si mo |w Spondylus psendoradiila, McCoy . X . X Septifer fenestratiis, Tate X X - X t Modiolaria singularis, Tate X - X t Crenella n.sp. aff. globularis - - - - Nuciila tuiuida, T. Woods . X X X „ Atkinsoni, Johnston - - X - X Mornndiana, Tate X X X t Leda obolella, Tate - - X - X „ Huttoni, T. Woods X X X X „ apiculata, Tate - X X .?x X „ praelonga, Tate - X - X Limopsis Belclieri, Adams and Reeve X X X X Pectunculns laticostatus, Quoy and Gaimai-d - - - - X X X X Macrodon Cainozoicus, Tate - X X X X Cucullsea Corioensis, McCoy - X X X X Crassatella astartiformis, Tate X X X X Cardita polynema, Tate ?x X X - delicatula, Tate X X X X Chania lamellifera, T. Woods - X X X X Chione Cainozoica ? T. Woods X X X t „ ? n.sp. - - - - - - - - t Myadora tenuilirata, Tate - X X X „ n.sp. - - - - . - - - Corbula epliamilla, Tate X X X X pixidata, Tate X X X - Class, Gastropoda. Miu-ex velificiis, Tate - X X X X „ rhysus, Tate - X - X ,, Dennanti. Tate - - - X „ Eyrei, T. Woods X X X X n.sp. - - - - . . _ . Typhis acanthopterus, Tate - X X - - Eapana aculeata, Tate X X ?x X Eanella Prattii, T. Woods X X - X Triton cyphiis, Tate - - X - X „ Woodsii, Tate - X X X X „ tortirostris, Tate X X X X „ gemmnlatus, Tate X X - X Fiisns acanthostephes, Tate - X X X X „ craspedotus, Tate X X - X dictyotis, Tate - - X - X n.sp. - - - - X - - „ n.sp. - . - - . X - - Latirofusus aciformis, Tate . X X Siphonalia longirostris, Tate - X X - X n.sp. aff. longirostris - . . Fasciolaria decipiens, Tate X - - X P^risternia Morundiana, Tate - . - - lintea, Tate - - X Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Fossils from Curlewis. 1 h If tl 1 II ^3 s5 Peristernia n.sp. „ n.sp. aff. crassilabi-iim ? X - Dennantia Ino, T. Woods X X X Zemira praeciirsoria, Tate - X Phos, n.sp. - - - - - X? - Voliita Hannafordi, McCoy (frag.) - X X „ ancilloides, Tate . X X „ McCoyii, T. Woods - ?x X X „ cathedralis ? Tate - X „ antiscalaris, McCoy X X X „ strophodon, McCoy X X * X „ n.sp. 1. aff. lirata ? jiiv. -^ - „ n.sp. 2. - - - ? ]\\Y. - - n.sp. 3. aff. n.sp. Muddy Creek - - t „ n.sp. 4. aff. conoidea - - - - Lyria harpularia, Tate X X X Mitra alokiza, T. Woods X X X „ othone, T. Woods X X X „ atractoides, Tate X - X „ n.sp. aff. leptalea - - Mai-o-inella Woodsii, Tate - X „ propinqna, Tate X X V X „ mictUa, Tate X X X X Wentworthi, Tate X X y X sub- Went worthi, Tate - X ? frag. X - t ., sp. - - - - X X X X Ancillaria hebera, Hutton - - X „ semilsevis,' Tate X X X pseudaustralis, Tate - X X Columbella clathrata, Tate m.s. X X X t » sp. - ? X X sp. aff. clathrata - ?x - - Cancellaria Etheridgei, Johnston X - „ oaperata, Tate X X - t ,, n.sp. X - Plenrotoma paracantha, T. Woods X X ^ X Clarse, T. Woods - X X X sp. . - - X X X sp. - . Drillia, sp. . . . . ? X ? X X Mangilia bidens, T. Woods - X X X „ sp. - - X t ? „ sp. - - . - Bela sculptilis, ? Tate - - X „ sp. aff. sculptilis - - - Eaphitoma n.sp. Pusianella sp. aff. hemiothone - - „ n.sp. - - Daphnella tenuisculpta, T. Woods X _ X Conns heterospira, Tate X X . X Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 13 -• 1^- = •2 ■^'•M Fossils from Curlewis. 2 'S.Z ■g g -HS 1 ^6 g5 Conns Dennanti, Tate - . X X X „ n.sp. afp. heterospira - - - - Cyprsea contusa, McCoy - X - X „ pyrulata (?), Tate - X - X „ brachypyga, Tate X X - X leptorhyncha, McCoy - - X X X Mnlderi, Tate - X - - - Trivia avellanoides, McCoy X X X X t Semicassis transenna, Tate - X X Cassidaria gradata, Tate - X - X Natica Hamiltonensis, T. Woods X X X „ polita, T. Woods X X X Crepidiila sp. - - X - t ? Scalaria sp. - - . - TiuTitella Murrayana, Tate - X X - X sp. - - - - X X X X „ sp. - X X - X sp. - - - - X - X - Siliquaria squamulifera, Tate m.s. X X - X Vermetiis conohelix, T. Woods X X X X sp. - X X Eulima sjd. . . . . ? X - Niso psila, T. Woods - X X X Odostomia sp. - X „ sp. - X Oeritliium crebarioides, T. Woods X X X X „ n.sp. aff. crebarioides - t Cerithiopsis n.sp. X „ n. sp. - - . . Triforis Wilkinsoni, T. Woods X X X „ sp. - - - - - X X ? Calliostoma sp. - . ?x Delpliinula aster, T. Woods - X X X FissurellidEea malleata, Tate - - X X Hemitonia occlusa, Tate, m.s. - X X X Emarginnla cymbinm, Tate, m.s. - X X t Scaphander fragilis, Tate, m.s. X X X t Eingicnla sp. '- - - - X X X Cylichna exigua, T. Woods X X X X Class, Scaphopoda. Entalis Mantelli, Zittel X X X X subfissnra, Tate X X X X Dentalinm ai-atu.m, Tate - X X X Class Cephalopoda. Nautilus sp. 1. - - X - - Nautilus sp. 2.=Gellibraud E. species - - X Class Pisces. tOtolitlis . - - - X X X X 14 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Summary for Locality 2. Class. No. of Species. Actinozoa Ecliinodermata Palliobranchiata Lamellibranchiata Gastropoda Scaphopoda - - - Cephalopoda - - - 3 1 1 25 102 3 2 Total - 137 The following are the only previous records we have seen of fossils from this locality. Prod. Pal. Vic, Dec. I., p. 28 — Valuta antiscalaris, McCoy, recorded as "Common in the Tertiary Clays of A! 14, parish of Moolap." Id. Dec. III., p. 38 — Trivia avellanoides, McCoy "very rare and of small size in blue clay (A*; 14) Outer Geelong Harbour." Id. Dec. IV., p. \\—Fecten Yahlensis, T. Woods, "of large size A!' 12;" also id., p. 26 — Voluta strophodon, McCoy, "Abundant in blue Oligocene Tertiary Clays of Moolap (A'!' 14)." Id. Dec. VI., p. 40 — Lovenia Forbesi, Duncan, "from Miocene beds of beach at Outer Geelong Harbour, (A*!' 12)." Taking only the Mollusca proper from the two localities we have recorded 150 species distributed as follows : — Class. No. of Species. Lamellibranchiata Additional Lamellibranchiata from Locality 1. - Gastropoda Additional Gastropoda from Locality 1. Scaphopoda Cephalopoda - 25 8 102 10 3 2 Total - 150 Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 15 Of these 150 species only three are represented in living- creation, which, therefore, gives us only two per cent, of living species. Several of the species however have not yet received specific names, but so far as the study of them has gone up to the present, it does not seem possible to refer any of them to living species. By an inspection of the above list it will be seen to include many of our most characteristic Eocene fossils, and from the accompanying table the close relationship to other characteristic Eocene localities is obvious. The fossils throughout the dark clays are in a very good state of preservation though the clays are very wet, and this which much increases their tenaceous character also greatly increases the difficulty in procuring specimens without damage, and it is of very little use to attempt to clean the specimens for purposes of identification until they have dried considerably. A few remarks on some of the fossils might not be out of place. Two of the species namely, Waldheitnia divaricata, and Peris- ternia Morimdiana, have hitherto only been obtained from the River Murray Cliffs, and it is a very interesting fact to find them also in this locality. There can be no doubt whatever about these identifications, as they have been carefully compared with actual specimens from the typical locality. Peden dichotomalis is an interesting shell which is at present only recorded from Schnapper Point and the Gellibrand River and is not particularly common at either of these localities. A new Fiisus should be noted, examples of which have also been obtained from Schnapper Point. This remarkable shell will no doubt form the type of a sub-genus as it possesses such marked characters of its own, the whorls are wholly disjoined, the canal is almost closed, and the whole shell roughly speaking is some- what like the columella of some fusoid shell divested of the whorls, the embryonic whorls are however in contact and are terminated by a projecting apex. Some specimens of a new species of Phos were obtained which show strong affinities to the undescribed species occurring at Spring Creek, but owing to the fact that the Spring Creek examples are not in a very good condition nothing very definite about their identity can be said at present. The new species of IT) Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Volnta ai'e worth mention. The first is a shell of the type of V. lira/a, Johnston, but it differs from this species in many points, amongst others the absence of costtB is conspicuous. The second shell is identical with a new species occurring at Spring Creek, which, in the adult form is quite seven inches in length with a characteristic long and slender spire terminated by an embryo with a markedly exsert tip. The third, though an incomplete example, shows sufficient characters to designate it a ne-w species with certain affinities to an undescribed species from Muddy Creek, which is related to V. Stephefisi, Johnston, of Table Cape. The fourth species belongs to the sub-genus Vohdoconus and has its nearest ally in V. cojioidea, but it is readily distinguishable from this species as the spire is much shorter and the whorls more tumid. Cyprcea Mulderi, Tate, is a shell we wei'e not at all soriy to see turn up, as the only two examples previously found were obtained in sinking a deep well in Belmont. The type specimen is in the Adelaide University Museum and the second one is the property of Mr. Mulder of Geelong. Two additional examples were obtained. A small and very pretty undescribed species of Nautilus turned up, which is apparently identical with the one occurring at the Gellibrand River and Muddy Creek. The amount of disturbance in eocene strata as shown here is apparently unparalleled in Southern Australia and is evidently merely local. The polyzoal rock in M'Cann's quarry at Waurn Ponds dips S. 10° E. at 3" or 4°. The sandy limestones at Belmont, on the river bank just above Barwon bridge, dip E. 40° S. 10°. While between these two localities in the bed of the Wauin Ponds Creek, about 300 yards below where the Geelong to Colac road crosses it, the dip is JST. 25° W. 7°. The Muddy Creek beds are stated by Mr. J. Dennant* to be horizontal, while Professt)r Tate, speaking generally of the Older Tertiaries of Southern Australia, saysf that " for the most part secular elevation of the Older Tertiary sea bed has been of small amount and uniform." * Tnin?. Roy. Soc. S.A., 1888, p. 33. t Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., 1888, p. 241. Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 17 All instance of a high dip in older tertiary strata is however recently quoted by Mr. T. S. Hart* as occurring on the cliff- section near Mentone, and is given as S. 20° E. at 30°, with fractures and slight faulting. The rest of the section shows a very low dip, this high angle being noted in one fold only. The high dip, contortion and the changed character of the small area of polyzoal rock exposed, point to subsequent volcanic disturbance, though no trace of igneous rock overlying the fossil- iferous strata was found. Possibly no great discharge of solid material took place, but heated gases caused the slight meta- morphism of the limestones. The Clifton Mineral Springs, plentifully charged with carbonic acid gas, possibly represent the dying, or solfatara stage, of this outburst. To the westward of the Curlewis section, the Bellarine Hills rapidly drop to the level of the plain, that separates them from the Geelong Hills, and the eocenes disappear from view. The upper tertiary beds are very thick and apparently form the greater part of the cliffs about the west end of the section, as the gully exposures gave no indication of the existence of any of the older beds, but showed mottled clays sands and conglomerates, and were, as far as we saw, unfossiliferous. As almost the whole of the visible portion of the eocene beds of this section is exposed only between tide marks, advantage must be taken of low-tides to thoroughly examine the deposit, and this materially shortens the time available for work ; besides which, only small portions of shells are visible above the surface as the pebbles and pyrites nodules soon destroy the projecting portions of the fossils. The clay beds, as at Mornington, are inhabited by great numbers of Barnea australasiae and B. similis. One peculiar feature of the beach is the manner in which the sea- weed and shells are consolidated into a peaty mass, the pieces of wood enclosed looking like lignite. A note on the \ sheet (23 S.W.) states that a shaft to the east of Fen wick's Gully showed 61 feet of ferruginous sands and clays overlying seven feet of black sandy clay with nodules of pyrites and fragments of lignite. This latter is called ' miocene,' presumably » Vict. Nat., vol. i.x., p. 157. 18 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. as it wa.s thought to resemble tlje other plant beds of the colony which are ascribed to that age. Now these plant beds at Flemington, Berwick, Dargo High Plains and other places* where they are associated with the Older Volcanic rock, underlie it. However there are certainly good grounds for doubting the age ascribed to the volcanic rock. At Flinders, a small patch of polyzoal rock lies on the deeply eroded surface of the igneous series. The limestone being crowded with foraminifera sucli as Amphistegina (very common) Operculina and Orbitoides shows an approach in character to the Orbitoides limestone which we showed! lay at the base of the Moorabool Valley be Is. At Kagle's Nest, near Airey's Iidet, the so called mio^ene also, as shown by tl e sections of the Survey, overlies the volcanic rock. Palaiontological evidence is gradually accumulating to show that the ferruginous beds of Royal Park, near Melbourne, also belong to the eocene series, and these be.ls, as the cutting, for instance, in the park shows, lie also on the deeply eroded surface of the volcanic rock. Here at Curlewis, we show the same sequence. Selwynj says that "the products of both volcanic periods are often contemporaneous, and interstratitied, with the marine limestones." The only specific instances we can find quoted of this intei'calation, in reference to the Older Volcanic, are the Maude sections on the Moorabool River, and Sutherland's Creek. As a rule then, there has been a considerable lapse of time between the volcanic flows and the deposition of the marine eocene beds. Should the Survey reading of the Maude section prove the correct one, some subdivision of the Older Volcanic series will be required, as a rock, the surface of which is deeply eroded before being covered with a marine deposit, can hardly be ascribed to the same age as a sheet intercalated with the latter. That the officers of the Survey have felt the need of some such division is shown by the legend attached to the older volcanic rock of the Bellarine Hills {\ sheets 23 N.E. a«d 23 S.E.) namely 'miocene or older.' That it certainly is older is shown by the fact that the clays which are marked as miocene on the map, but which were subsequently stated by Prof. McCoy to be 01igocene,§ distinctly overlie it. The lower tertiary beds of this » Murray, Geol. and Pliys. Geog. of Vict., p. 1U4, et sog. t Proc. Uoy. Soc. Vict., vol. iv., N.S., p. 11. % Exliib. Essays, 1806, p. 31. § Prod. Pal. Vic, Doc. iv., p. 2G. Eocene Strata of the BcUaruie Peninsula. 19 ui(ia are clearly of the same age as the typical eocenes of Muddy Creek. The plant beds then must come in, either at the base of the eocene series, or may possibly be even of cretaceous age. Professor Tate has already indicated his discovery in South Australia of beds containing plant remains, which were orginally leferred to Miocene age, occurring in conjunction with marine Cretaceous fossils, giving us a somewhat parallel case to the famous Laramie Beds of North America. In the vicinity of Adelaide, beds containing carbonaceous matter are also known to occur directly underlying the Eocene Tertiary as proved by the Adelaide bore. Plant beds are extensively developed in New South Wales, and AVilkinson* states that they show "a perfect resemljlance to the L<5wer Miocene leaf beds of Bacchus Marsh in Victoria ; some of the impressions in the form seem to be undistinguishable from the Victorian fossils." Some of the New South Wales plant beds have been referred by Baron von Ettingshausenf to eocene age, apparently solely based upon the plant remains themselves. The discussions on the age of the New South Wales coal series and of the Laramie Beds of North America, go to show that very little weight can be attached to the evidence afforded by terrestrial or freshwater forms of life. The evidence which has been obtained in South Australia and Victoria is of a more detinite nature, and at present seems to point to the Cretaceous age of the older deposits containing plant remains. From Clifton Springs to Lake Connewarre, the surface is covered everywhere with a thick mantle of Upper Tertiary rocks, consisting of clays, loose sands and quartz gravels. Along the lake margin, and extending some distance inland, ferruginous grits are the almost universal representatives of these beds. They are of a dark-brown hue, coarse grained, fairly hard, and afford the common road metal of the southern part of the district, About a mile N.E. of Drysdale occurs a coarse sandstone with a siliceous cement which is used as road metal near Portarlington. Tlie quartz is glassy and in some cases shows crystalline faces. The rock is of a whitish colour, somewhat cavernous, the cavities beina; sometimes coated with limonite. Notes on the Geology of N.S.W., 1S82, p. 56. Mem. Geo. Surv. N.S.W., Pal. No. 2. Contributions to the Tertiary Flora of Australia, 20 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. From near the place at which the Barwon enters the lake, to the south end of Kissing Point, which is the Southern termination of Leopold Hill, basalt flanks the hill but does not rise much above the level of the lake. It is clearly a severed portion of the flow forming the plain to the south and west on the southern side of the lake. At Barwon Heads, the same rock is seen to be over- lain by the Dune limestone of Mount Oolite, and is referred on the \ sheet to Mount Duneed. At the south end of Kissing Point, and overlying the basalt, occurs a bed of shells consisting of large oysters and Barbatia trapezia. It is about 20 feet above the lake level and is possibly a native shell-mound. The great mass of the hill at this point is formed of a peculiar sandy limestone, in which no identifiable fossils could be detected. The oflicers of the Survey, in default of fossils, refer it doubtfully to miocene age. In appearance it somewhat resembles a dune limestone, though as we could not find a good section, we could not detect any false bedding in it. A similiar rock is marked as occurring at Bald Hill across the lake, but we did not visit it. We could not come to any conclusion about the age of this rock, but have not seen any eocene strata which resemble it closely. From Campbell's Point to the north-west corner of the lake, gray clays constantly appear on the beach floor, and are overlain by yellow earthy limestone just above water level. Apparently the beds do not rise to any height on the cliffs as we saw no exposure anywhere. Fossils from Point Campbell. Class., Actinozoa. Order, Zoantharia. Balanophyllia Australiensis, Duncan. Class, Polyzoa. Numerous genera and species. Class, Lamellibrauchiata. Ostrea sp. Dimya dissimilis, Tale. Nucula Atkinsoni, Johnston. Limopsis Belcheri, Adams and Reeve. Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula. 21 Pectunculus laticostatus, Quoy and Gaimard. Cucullaja Corioensis, McCoy. Crassatella Dennanti, Tate. Cardita polynema, Tate. Chione sp. (?) Corbula ephamilla, Tate. „ pixidata, Tate. Class, Gastropoda. Triton Woodsii, Tate. Fusus senticosus, Tate. Fasciolaria exilis, Tate. Dennantia Ino, T. Woods. Dolichotoma atractoides, Tate, m.s. Conus heterospira, Tate. Cypraea sp. (? platypyga). Xatica polita, T. Woods. Solarium acutum, T. Woods. Turritella platyspira, T. Woods. Vermetus conohelix, T. Woods, sp. Cerithium crebarioides, T. Woods Class, Scaphopoda. Entalis Mantelli, Zittel. „ subfissura, Tate. Class, Pisces. Otoliths. Fossils from Poixt Campbell. Summary. Class. No. of Si)ecies. Actinozoa 1 Laniellibranchiata 11 Gastropoda 13 Scaphopoda 2 Pisces - 1 Total - - 28 22 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. From here to Fenwick's Gully, only Upper Tertiary beds were seen along the shore. On following up the gully the yellow earthy limestone, which forms the upper portion of the eocenes in the Geelong district, was seen outcropping frequently. It is overlain by a white earthy travertin, which is derived from it, and is bur-ned for lime in the district. To the north of the QueensclifF Road, is a quarry on the side of the gully, which has for many years supplied the road with metal. The hard rock occurs in narrow irregular bands, varying from a foot to a few inches in thickness. The rest of the deposit consists of yellow earthy limestone of a softer texture. The hard bands are composed of a fawn-coloured, granular, siliceous lime- stone which rings under the hammer and breaks with a clean sharp fracture. Sir Richard Daintree, who analysed it, states its composition to be as follows*. Carbonate of lime ... ... 75-20 ,, ,, magnesia ... ... 3 '00 Silica ... ... ... 15-79 Alumina and peroxide of iron ... 3-00 96-99 The following are the fossils obtained from this locality, owing however to the very hard nature of the rock, it is a somewhat difficult matter to collect any number of specimens. Placotrochus deltoideus, Duncan. Lovenia Forbesi, Duncan. Dimya dissimilis, Tate. INIarginella propinqua, Tate. ? Ancillaria sp. Cypnea sp. (cast probably leptorphyncha). Turritella sp. From an inspection of the above list, the horizon to which these rocks belong will be readily recognised as eocene. Between the mouth of the gully and Ocean Grove the \ sheet (29 N,W.) marks a continuous outcrop of lower tertiary strata. Although we followed the mai'gin of the lake between these two * Sehvyii and Ulricli, Ex. Essays, 1865, pp. 35 and 73. Eocene Strata of the Bcllarine Peninsula. 23 points, the time at our disposal was too short for any detailed examination, and we saw no exposure of these beds till we neared Ocean Grove. The hills are covered with a thick deposit of ferruginous grits, quartz gravels and mottled clays while still more recent deposits from the beach of the lake. Near Ocean Grove a well sinking on tlie flat showed that the earthy limestone lay at no great distance beneath the surface. The sea cliff gave a section showing an earthy sandy limestone varying in colour from yellow to brown and containing flakes of black mica. After spending considerable time in endeavouring to obtain some fossils from the limestone which crops out on the cliff"-face just below the Coflee Palace, we managed to get Terebratulina Davidsoni, (Eth. fil.), fragments of Echinoderms and of a species of pecten. The same rock crops out on the sandy shore of the beach below high water mark, and Mr. J. Bracebridge Wilson stated* that he has di'edged up fragments of it at some distance off" the shore here. Eocene fossils are occasionally washed ashore on tne beach a couple of miles west of Barwon Heads, where one of us has found about half-a-dozen specimens while gathering recent shells. We have to express our indebtedness to the collecting of Mr. Mulder of Geelong for some of the information as regards the fossils from Belmont. REFERENCES TO SKETCH MAP. (Plate I). 1. Number 1 station. ) 2. Number 2 station, f ^'^^ Curlewis section. 3. Kissing Point. 4. Campbell's Point. 5. Quarry, Fenwick's Gully. 6. Cliflf section, Ocean Grove. 7. Mount Colite. • Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic, vol. iv., N.S., p. 221 (discission). Art. II. — TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. (With Plate II.) By A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.gc, and C. Frost, F.L.S. [Eead 13tli April, 1893]. The arrangement which we have adopted is that followed by Mr. G. A. Boulenger in the Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum., 2nd Edition, London, 1885. The characters of the Families, of the Genera, and of most of the Species have been taken from that work, in some cases verbatim, and in others in a slightly modified form. In all cases we have carefully verified the descriptions by the examination of as many specimens as we could obtain, and the modifications and additions which we have made have been suggested by our own observations, frequently made upon the living animals. We have included all the information which we have been able to gather as to the habits and the distributions of the lizards. The colouration of adult lizards we find to vary within wide limits in the case of many of the species, but the colour and pattern of the adults can often be explained and understood if considered as derived from the colour and pattern of young individuals, in which they are usually much more marked and constant. We have therefore, when able, described in some detail the colouration of young specimens. We have had the advantage of studying all the specimens preserved in the National Museum of Victoria, and we have to acknowledge, gratefully, the kindness and courtesy of Sir Frederick McCoy in placing the collection at our disposal for examination. We desire also to thank the following gentlemen who have assisted us in obtaining material : Professor W. B. Spencer, Dr. Dendy, C. French, Esq., F.L.S. , Dudley Le Souef, Esq., Assistant Director of the Melbourne Zoological Gardens, W. von Fremersdorff, Esq., Director of the Maryborough School of Mines, Thomas Steel, Esq., F.C.S., the Rev. E. H. Hennell, Geo. Lyell, Junr., Esq., C. C. Brittlebank, Esq., F. Reader, Esq., C. French, Junr., Esq., G. Morton, Esq., C. Martin, Esq., H. Giles, Esq., and R. Embleton, Esq. The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 25 GECKONID^. Characters of the Family. External Form. Head and body more or less depressed, sometimes bordered by cutaneous expansions. Tongue fleshy, moderately elongate, very feebly incised anteriorly, capable of protrusion out of the mouth. Tail presenting almost every possible shape, sometimes prehen- sile, almost always extremely fragile and rapidly reproduced. If reproduced it generally assumes an abnormal form and scaling. Limbs, both pairs well developed, pentadactyle. The digits vary considerably and furnish the characters upon which the systematic arrangement is based. Eye and Ear. — The eye generally large, with vertical pupil, covered as in Snakes, by a transparent lid under which it moves freely, the valvular lids being in most cases rudimentary. The tympanum usually more or less exposed. Tegtanenis. Skin nearly always soft, with numerous tubercles or granules on the dorsal surface, and small, imbricated, cycloid or hexagonal scales on the ventral surface. Plate-like scales of the head only around the margin of the gape. The skin of the head usually free from the skull-bones. Endo-skeleton. Skull generally much depressed, with thin bones. Distinct nasals. Jugal rudimentary, the orbit not being bounded poster- iorly by a long arch. No postfronto-squamosal arch. Pterygoids widely separated, without teeth. A columella cranii. Mandible of five bones, the angular and articular having coalesced. Teeth pleurodont, small, numerous, closely set, with long, slender, cylindrical shaft and obtuse point. The new teeth hollow out the base of the old ones. VertebrcB amphicoelous. Ribs long, and so prolonged as to form more or less ossified hoops across the whole abdominal region. Linib-arches. — Clavicle dilated, perforated proximally. Inter- clavicle subrhomboidal to cruciform. Bones of the limbs, including those of the digits, well developed. 26 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Mode of reprodiictio)!. Oviparous. Eggs round, with a hard shell. Gymnodactylus, Spix. Digits not dilated, clawed, cylindrical or slightly depi-essed at the base ; the two or three distal phalanges compressed, forming an angle with the basal portion of the digits ; the claw between two enlarged scales, (a superior and an inferior), of which the inferior is more or less deeply notched under the claw ; digits inferiorly with a. row of more or less distinct transverse plates. Body variously scaled. Pupil vertical. Males with or without prreanal or femoral pores. The genus as defined ranges over Australia ; the islands of the Pacific ; Tropical America ; the borders of the Mediterranean ; Southern Asia. The species with greatly swollen or broadened tails, forming the section Fhy/lurus, Fitzing, are confined to Australia. Gymxodactylus miliusii, Bory. Phyllurui iniliusii, Gray, Cat., p. 176. Phyllurus miliusii, Bory de St. Vincent, Diet. Hist. Nat. vii., p. 183, pi. — fig. 1 ; Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror, pi. xvii., fig. 2 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 132. Cyrtodactylus nilii, Gray, Grifl', A.K. ix. Syn., p. 52. Gymnodactylus miliusii, Dum. and Bibr. iii., p. 430, pi. xxxiii., fig. 1 ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 229. Gymnodactylus (Anomalurus) 7niliusii, Fitz. Syst. Kept., p. 90. Description. — " Head large oviform ; snout a little longer than the diameter of the orbit, as long as the distance between the eye and the ear-opening ; forehead and loreal region concave ; ear- opening elliptical, vertical, about three-fifths the diameter of the eye. Body moderate. Limbs long, slender ; digits rather short, subcylindrical. Snout covered with granules of unequal size ; hinder part of head with minute granules intermixed with round tubercles ; rostral subquadrangular, three times as broad as high ; nostril directed posteriorly, separated from the rostral and first labial by two nasals ; labials small, eleven to fourteen upper and ten to twelve lower ; mental broadly trapezoid ; no regular chin- The Lizards indigoious to Victoria. 27 shields ; gular granules minute. Body and limbs covered abo^•e with small granules intermixed with small round conical tubercles ; belly covered with flat granules. Tail short, thick, swollen, and nearly as broad as the body in its anterior half, depressed, tapering to a fine point posteriorly ; it is covered with small granules, and, on the upper surface, small conical tubercles arranged in transverse series. Colour. — Chestnut-brown above, with white cross bands on the back and tail; head and limljs white-spotted ; lower surfaces white. Total length 135 Head 25 Width of head ... 19 Body 65 Fore-limb 36 Hind-limb 43 Tail 55 " — Boulenger. Distribution. — -Victoria : Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, Castle- maine. Mount Tallangower (Melb. Museum) ; Maryborough, Dimboola, Baringhup (L. and. F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia (Melb. Mus.) ; Sydney, Champion Bay, N.W. Australia (Brit. Mus.). Phyllodactvlus, Gray. Digits more or less slender, free, all clawed, with transverse lamella? or tubercles inferiorly ; the extremity more or less dilated, with two large plates inferiorly, separated by a longi- tudinal groove in which the claw is retractile ; the distal expansion covered above with scales sti'ongly differentiated from those on the basal portion of the digit. Upper surfaces covered with juxtaposed scales, uniform or intermixed with larger tubercles ; abdominal scales generally imbricate. Pupil vertical. Males with neither praeanal nor femoral pores. The genus extends over Australia ; Africa ; islands of the Mediterranean ; Tropical America. 28 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. PlIYLLODACTYLUS MARMORATUS, Gray. Diplodactylus marmoratus, Gray, Cat., p. 149. Diplodactylus inarvwratus, Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror, pi. XV., fig. 6; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 132. Phyllodactylus porphyreiis., part, Dum. and Bibr. iii., p. 393. Phyllodactylus peronii^ Fitz. Syst. Rept., p. 95. Description. — " Head oviform, much longer than broad; snout rounded, a little longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, once and two-fifths the diameter of the orbit ; forehead very slightly concave ; ear-opening small, roundish or oval, its diameter one-third to one-half that of the eye. Body rather elongate ; limbs moderate. Digits not much depressed ; digital expansions moderate, rounded, subtrapezoid ; the diameter of the disk of the fourth toe equals two-thirds the diameter of the eye ; the slender part of the digit with regular transverse laraellsB inferiorly, which are broken up into small scales a short distance in advance of the distal expansion ; seven or eight entire lamellse under the fourth toe. Upper surfaces covered with uniform small granules, largest on the snout, smallest on the hinder part of the head. Rostral pentagonal or hexagonal, the posterior angle being truncate, the latero-superior angles touching the nostril ; the latter is pierced posteriorly to the suture of the rostral and first labial, and between the latter and three nasals ; eight or nine upper and as many lower hibials ; mental trapezoid or pentagonal, not larger than the adjacent labials ; no regular chin-shields, but small polygonal scales, passing gradually into the minute granules of the gular region. Abdominal scales moderate, smooth subhexagonal, slightly imbricate. Tail long, cylindrical, tapering in its posterior half, covered with uniform small smooth scales, rather large inferiorly, arranged in rings. Colour. — Greyish or reddish-brown above, variegated with dark-brown ; whitish inferiorly. Total length ... ... 119 mm. Head 13 „ Width of head 10 „ Body 38 „ Fore-limb ... ... 17 „ Hind-limb 21 „ Tail ... ... ... 68 „ '' — Boulenger. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 29 Habits. — Usually met with under logs and flat stones. Distribution. — Victoria: Heathcote, Goulburn Valley, Murray District, Pyramid Hill, Gunbower, Murchison, Echuca, Western District (Melb. Mus.) ; Castlemaine, Mai-yborough, Dimbuola, Grampians (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia, Houtman's Abrolhos, Kangaroo Island (Brit. Mus.). DiPLODACTYLUS, Gray. Digits free, not dilated at the base, slightly at the apex, all clawed, the claw retractile between two plates under the extremity of the digits ; the basal portion of the digits inferiorly with transverse lamellte or tubercles ; the upper surface of the digits covered with uniform small tubercular scales. Upper surfaces covered with juxtaposed scales, uniform or intermixed with larger tubercles; abdominal scales juxtaposed. Pupil vertical. Males with or without pi'seanal pores, without femoi'al pores. The genus extends over the whole of Australia, but is not met with outside of tlie Continent. DiPLODACTYLUS STROPHURUS, Dum. and Bibr. Phyllodactyhis strophurus, Dum. and Bibr., iii., p. 397, pi xxxii., fig. 1. Discodactylus ( Strophiirus ) dunierilii, Fitz. Syst. Rept., p. 96. Description. — Head oviform, convex ; snout rounded, rather longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, longer than the diameter of the orbit; eye large; ear-opening small, roundish. Body and limbs moderate. Digits much depressed, with large transverse lamellfe inferiorly, about seven under the fourth toe, the middle ones chevron-shaped, the distal one heart-shaped, the basal ones divided into two rounded plates ; the plates under the apex of the digit large, together cordiform. Upper surfaces covered with minute granules, with two somewhat irregular longitudinal series of large very obtusely conical tubercles along the back and tail. Rostral pentagonal, completely divided medially ; nostril pierced between the rostral, tlie first labial and 80 Proceednigs of tJic Royal Society of Victoria. three or four nasals ; thirteen or fourteen upper Uxbials, about the same number of lower labials ; mental small, trapezoid, scarcely larger than the adjacent labials ; no chin-shields. Lower surfaces covered with small juxtaposed granules. Males with a doubly arched series of eleven to fourteen pra-anal pores, and three or four large conical tubercles at the base of the tail. Tail short, subcylindrical, prehensile, covered with small granules ; on each side of its upper surface the series of tubercles above- mentioned. Colour. — Upper surfaces olive-grey, speckled or pencilled with black; tubercles brown ; head with dark undulations of which two are longitudinal on each side of the snout, one passing thi'ough the eye, the other meeting its fellow above on the snout. Distribution. — Victoria : Kewell, near Dimbooia, Murray District (Melb. Mus.) ; Lake Albacutya (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — New South Wales, Sydney (Brit. Mus.). DiPLODACTYLUS viTTATUS, Gray. Diplodactylus viitatus, Gray, Cat., p. 148. Diplodactylus ornatus, Gray, Cat., p. 149. Diplodactylus vittatus, Gray, P.Z.S., 1832, p. 40 and Zool. Erebus and Terror, pi. xvi., lig. 3, Phyllodactylus vittatus^ Dum. and Bibr. iii., p. 400. Diplodactylus furcosus, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 229. Diplodactylus ornatus. Gray, Zool. Erelnis and Terror, pi. xvi., tig. 2. Description. — "Head short, very convex; snout rounded- acuminate, measuring the diameter of the orbit or the distance between the eye and the ear-opening ; latter rather small, round. Body short ; limbs moderate. Digits short, depressed, with small apical dilatation, inferiorly with a series of transversely oval tubercles, some of them breaking up into two rounded tubercles ; the extremity of the digit is raised and bears inferiorly two roundish plates separated from the large tubercles of the basal part by three or four rows of small granules. Upper surfaces covered with uniform small granular scales. Rostral four-sided, twice as broad as high, with median cleft abo^e ; TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 31 nostril pierced between tlie rostral, the tirst labial and five or six nasals, the anterior or upper largest and generally in contact with its fellow, the others granular ; ten or eleven upper and as many lower labials ; mental trapezoid, a little larger than the adjacent labials; no chin-shields. "Abdominal scales granular, scarcely larger than those on the upper surfaces. Tail short, swollen, root-shaped, with rings of uniform small squarish scales. Male with a small group of conical tubercles on each side the base of the tail. Colour. — Brown above ; a light dark-edged festooned vertebral band, bifurcating on the nape, sometimes broken up into angular spots ; sides and limbs with light spots ; lower surfaces dirty-white. Total length ... ... 88 mm. Head 15 Width of head 12 Body 40 Fore-limb 19 Hind-limb 24 Tail 33 „ "— Boulenirer. Habits. — This lizard is usually met with under thin Hat stones near the tops of mountains. Distribution. — -Victoria : Bendigo, Upper JMurray, Dimboola (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia, Champion Bay, Houtman's Abrolhos, Sydney (Brit. Mus.) ; Deniliquin, New South AVales (Melb. Mus.). DiPLODACTYLUS TESSELLATUS, Giinther. Stenodactylopsis tessellatus, Giinth., Zool. Erebus and Terror, p. 16. Description. — " Head lai-ge, oviform, very convex ; snout rounded, as long as the diameter of the orbit or the distance between the eye and the ear-opening ; latter small, round. Body short ; limbs long, slender. Digits rather long, slender, feebly depressed, not dilated at the end, inferiorly with small granules ; apical plates small, oval. Head with small granular scales ; rostral four-sided, emarginate a'bove, more than twice as broad as 32 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. higl), with trace of median cleft; nostril pierced between the rostra], the first labial, and six nasals ; latter, anterior large, posterior very small granules ; nine upper and ten lower labials ; mental elongate, not larger than the adjacent labials ; no chin- shields. Back covered with flat tessellated juxtaposed scales, much larger on the middle of the back. Abdominal scales flat, subimbricate, not half the size of the larger dorsal scales. Male with a group of conical tubercles on each side of the base of the tail. Colotir. — Greyish-white above, with faint irregular brownish variegation ; white beneath. Total length 69 mm. Head 14 „ Width of head 9 „ Body 34 „ Fore-limb 19 „ Hind-limb 23 „ Tail 21 „ "— Boulenger. Distribution. — Victoria : Kewell, near Dimboola, Western District (Melb. Mus.) ; Dimboola (L. and F.) Geiiyra, Gray. Digits strongly dilated, free or webbed at the base, inferiorly with undivided or medially divided transverse lamellae ; distal phalanges free, elongate, compressed, clawed, raised from wdthin the extremity of the dilatation ; inner digits without free distal phalange, clawless, or with a very indistinct retractile claw. Upper surfaces covered with granular scales ; belly with cycloid imbricated scales. Pupil vertical. Male with femoral or praeanal pores. The genus extends over the East Indies ; Australia ; islands of the Indian and South Paciflc Oceans ; while one species, G. niiifi/nta, Wiegm., reaches Western Mexico. Gehyra VARiEtiATA, Dum. and Bibr. Peripia variegata, Gray, Cat., p. 159. Hemidactylus variegatiis, Dum. and Bibr., iii., p. 353. The Lizards zjidigenous to l^ictoria. 33 Peropus {Dactylopei'us) variegatus, Fitzing, Syst. Rept., p. 103. Peripia torresiana, Giiuther, A.M.KH. (4), xix., 1877, p. 415. Description. — " Head longer than bt'oad ; snout longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, about once and a half the diameter of the orbit ; forehead with a median groove ; ear-opening moderately large, suboval. Body and limbs moderately elongate, depressed, without cutaneous folds. Digits short, free or with a very slight rudiment of web : the inferior lamellai angular, divided by a median groove. Tail depressed, tapering, the sides rounded. Upper surfaces and throat covered with very small granular scales ; abdominal scales moderate. Rostral quadrangular, broader than high, with a median cleft superiorly ; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first labial, and three nasals ; seven to nine upper and six to eight lower labials ; mental moderately large, pentagonal ; chin-shields three pairs, inner largest, elongate, outer small, frequently broken up into small scales ; these shields considerably shorter than in G. mutilata. The upper surface of the tail covered with very small flat scales, the lower surface with a median series of large transversely dilated scales." — Boulenger. A short angular series of prseanal pores, ten to sixteen altogether (in the males). Colouration of ha If -grown specimen (in spirit). — Greyish-lavender above, browner on the head and limbs, with a pattern formed by darker narrow longitudinal and transverse wavy bands. One of these bands commences at the nostril, passes along the canthus rostralis and over the orbit, then curves inwards towards its fellow at the back of the head ; these bands are darker and more definite on the snout, and are connected by a transverse band just above the nostrils, and by a second commissure less well defined higher up on the snout ; the median surface included between the two curved bands is vermicularly marked and spotted. A second band on either side passes along the. side of the snout below the first, crosses the eye, and continues as a longitudinal dorso-lateral band along the whole length of the trunk, becoming indistinct along the tail. A third much broken band still lower down on the side is indicated by a streak below the orbit, another through the ear-opening, and by a fainter more or less continuous band on the trunk and tail, below and parallel I) 34 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. to the doi'so-lateral band. A number of transverse wavy bands are plainly marked across the back and proximal portion of the tail, becoming broken up on the sides into lines and spots. The upper surfaces of the limbs are variegated with irregular wavy bands and spots. The lower surfaces are of a nearly uniform greyish-white, the lamellae of the digits darker. In adult specimens of the dark markings the most persistent are the two upper bands on the sides of the head and neck, and the bands across the back. Distribution. — Victoria : A single half-grown male specimen (with fourteen pra^anal pores) found by Dr. Dendy on the steam- boat between Swan Hill and Mildura, which may have come on board from either the Victorian or New South Wales bank of the Murray. The species at all events reaches the borders of Victoria. Range outside Victoria. — Houtman's Abrolhos, Champion Bay, Peak Downs, islands of Torres Straits, Murray I., Sunday I. (Brit. Mus.) ; Queensland (L. and F.). [Since writing the above, two specimens of this lizard have been obtained from under the bark of a tree in the public park at Echuca.] PYGOPODID^. Characters of the Family. External Form. Body elongate, snake-like. Tongue fleshy, papillose, elongate, more or less feebly incised anteriorly, extensible. Tail long and fragile. Lijnbs extremely reduced ; no fore-limbs ; hind-limb visible externally only as a scaly flap without distinct digits. Eye and Ear. — The eye rather small, with broadly elliptical, vertical pupil, not protected by movable lids, usually with a circular scaly rudimentary lid. The tympanum either exposed or concealed under the scales. The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 35 Teguments. The body is covered with roundish, imbricate scales, and the head is more or less regularly plated with larger scales. The skin of the head quite free from the subjacent skull-bones. Endo-skeleton. Skull rather depressed. Pn^maxillary single, narrowed, much produced posteriorly between the nasals. Nasals distinct. Frontal single. Prsefrontals and postfrontals in contact, separ- ating the frontal from the orbit. Jugal rudimentary, there being no postorbital arch. No postfronto-squamosal arch. Pterygoids widely separated, without teeth. Mandible of four bones, the angular, supra-angular and articular having coalesced. Teeth pleurodont, small, numerous, closely set. Litnb-arches. — Pectoral arch very rudimentary. The ischium appears externally as a small spur on each side behind the anal cleft. Bones of hind-limb, including phalanges of five toes, present but small. Pygopus, Merr. Parietal bones distinct. Tongue slightly nicked at the tip, with rows of large round papillfe inferiorly. Ear exposed. Rudiments of hind-limbs externally. Head with large symmet- rical plates. Scales cycloid-hexagonal, imbricate, those on the back keeled, the two median series on the belly and the median series under the tail transverely enlarged, hexagonal, Prajanal pores in both sexes. The distribution of this monotypic genus is the same as that of the single species, Australia and Tasmania. PyCxOPUS lepidopus, Lacepede. Pygopus lepidopus. Gray, Cat., p. 67. Pygopus squainiceps, Gray, Cat., p. 68. Pipes lepidopus, Lacep., Ann. Mus. iv., 180i, p. 209, pi. Iv., fig. 1 ; Guerin, Icon. R. A., Rept., pi. Ixi., fig. 1 ; Duvern. R. A., Rept., pl. xxii., vis. fig. 2. 36 Proceedings of tJie Royal Society of Victoria. SheltopHsik }iov(e-hol/andi(^, Oppel. Ordii., p. 40. Pygopus lepidopus, Merr. Tent., p. 77 ; Giinther, Ann. Mag. N.H. (3) XX., 1867, p. 45; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 152, 153. Hysteropus novcT^-hollajidice, Dum. and Bibr. v., p. 828, pi. Iv. Pygopus squamiceps, Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror Kept., pi. viii., fig. 3. Description. — " )Snout scarcely pi'ominent, rounded, as long as the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening ; canthus rostralis obtuse ; eye small, with rudimentary circular scaly lid ; ear-opening oval, oblique. Tail, when intact, at least twice as long as the body. Rudimentary hind-limbs measuring about the distance between the eye and the end of the snout in females, more than the distance between the posterior border of the eye and 'the end of the snout in males. Ten to fourteen prajanal pores. Rostral low, from twice and a half to thrice and a half as broad as high ; nostril between the first labial and three nasals, the two anterior of which are band-like and extend across the upper surface of the snout, where they form a suture with their fellows, or are separated by one or two small azygos plates ; a large polygonal prtefrontal, separated from the nasals by two (or one) pairs of small transverse plates, its transversely truncate posterior border forming a suture with the frontal, which is pentagonal and about once and two-thirds as long as broad ; the posterior angle of the latter plate wedged in between the pair of parietals, which are nearly as large as the frontal, and sub- hexagonal ; sometimes a narrow band-like plate on the outer side of the parietals ; two large supraorbitals ; loreal region with numerous small polygonal plates, from four to seven in a row, between the orbit and nasal ; five to seven upper labials, separated from the orbit by a row of scales ; mental large, broadly trapezoid ; four to six lower labials, the first or the first two much dilated vertically. Keels of the dorsal scales forming regular lines on the body, alternate on the tail. Twenty-two or twenty-three (in one specimen twenty-one) longitudinal series of scales round the middle of the body, ten smooth and twelve or thirteen (or eleven) keeled. The enlarged ventral scales twice as broad as long, in seventy to eighty-five longitudinal series. Two enlarged anal scales separated from the perforated pravinal scales by one or two The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 37 rows of scales. Colour. — Coppery-grey above, uniform or with three or five longitudinal series of blackish dots or elongate quadrangular spots ; lower surfaces more or less marbled or pulverated with grey. MALE. FEMALE. Head 16 16 mm. Width of head .. 10 .. 10 „ Body 165 .. 155 „ Hind-limb 11 6 „ Tail 400 .. 345 „ ' — Boulenger. Distribution. — Victoria: Kewell in Western District, Gipps- land (Melb. Mus.); common in northern part of the colony (McCoy) ; Murray District (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — New South Wales, North and North- West Australia, Tasmania. Delma, Gray. Parietal bones distinct. Tongue slightly nicked at the tip, with rows of large round papillse inferiorly. Ear exposed. Rudiments of hind-limbs externally. Head with large symmet- rical plates. Scales smooth, cycloid hexagonal, imbricate, the two median series on the belly and the median series under the tail transversely enlarged, hexagonal. No prfeanal pores. Both species of the genus ai'e confined to Australia. Delma fraseri. Gray. Delma fraseri., Gray, Cat., p. 68, Delma fraseri., Gray, Zool. Misc., p. 14, and in Grey's Travels Austral, ii., p. 427, pi. iv., fig. 3 ; Giinth. Ann. and Mag. N. H. (4) xii., 1873, p. 145 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 153. Del/na grayii. Smith, III. S. Afr. Rept., pi. Ixxvi., fig. 2. Delma molleri, Liitken, Vidensk. Meddel., 1862, p. 296, pi. i., fig. 2. Nisara grayii, Gray, Liz. Austr., p. 3. Description. — "Snout not prominent, as long as the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening ; canthus rostralis obtuse ; 38 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. eye with distinct circular scaly lid ; ear-opening elliptical, oblique, its diameter equal to that of the eye. Tail, when intact, three or four times as long as the body. The rudimentary hind- limbs measure about the length of the snout in males, consider- ably less in females. Rostral triangular or pentagonal, nearly twice as broad as high ; nostril pierced between the first labial and three nasals (two in the specimen described as D. ijwikri, in which the naso-rostral and upper nasal have fused) the two anterior of which form a suture with their fellows on the snout ; exceptionally, liowever, the upper nasal is separated from the nostril ; a pair of fronto-nasals ; prsefrontal large, a little broader than long, seven-sided, the antero-lateral sides very short, in con- tact with a large loreal ; frontal as broad as or a little narrower than the prtefrontal, longer than broad, seven-sided, its posterior angle wedged in between the pair of parietals, which are consider- ably larger than the frontal ; a pair of enlarged scales on the outer side of the parietals ; two large supraorbitals ; a large loreal and four or five small plates between the orbit and the nasal ; five or six upper labials, fourth much elongate and situated under the orbit from which it is separated by a row of small scales ; mental large, triangular, broader than long ; four lower labials, the two anterior much dilated vertically, the first forming a suture with its fellow behind the mental. Sixteen longitudinal rows of scales round the middle of the body. The enlarged ventral scales vary considerably in width, being some- times not quite twice as broad as long, whilst in most specimens they are more than twice as broad as long ; they form forty-five to sixty pairs. Two large and a smaller median anal scales. Olive above ; head generally with four more or less confluent black cross bands, which may be separated by whitish bands ; in two specimens these bands are indistinct, and the sides of the head and body are vertically barred with darker and whitish ; one specimen uniform olive without any markings. Lower surfaces yellowish. Head ... ... ... 13 mm. Width of head 7 „ Body 85 „ Hind-limb ... ... 4-5 „ Tail 355 „ "— Boulenger. The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 39 Habits. — Fcund a few inches below the surface of the ground where it is often turned up by the plough. Distribution. — Victoria: Melbourne, Wimmera, Kewell, neur Dimboola (Melb. Mus.) ; Murray District (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia: Perth, Champion Bay, Nichol Bay ; Queensland. Delma impar, Fischer. Pseudodelma impar, Fischer, Arch, f, Naturg., xlviii., 1882, p. 287, pi. xvi., figs. 1-4 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vic, pi. 161. Description. — " Tail twice as long as head and body. Rudi- mentary limbs small. Rostral pentagonal ; nosti'il pierced in the lower portion of the nasal, which forms a suture with its fellow on the snout ; a pair of large plates between the nasals and the prsefrontal ; latter seven-sided, a little larger than the frontal, which is also seven-sided and smaller than the parietals ; a band- like plate on the outer side of the latter ; two supraorbitals ; a large loreal and four small plates between the orbit and the nasal ; seven upper labials, fourth elongate and situated below the orbit, from which it is separated by a row of small scales ; mental large, triangular ; six lower labials, the first forming a suture with its fellow behind the mental. Fifteen longitudinal rows of scales round the middle of the body. Two enlarged prseanal scales. Colour. — Olive-green, lighter beneath ; on each side of the back two light, dark-edged longitudinal lines. From snout to vent 80 mm.; tail 167 mm." — Boulenger. Habits. — Found coiled up like a snake under stones in Spring. Large numbers were turned up by the pick and shovel in removing the surface soil in the construction of the sewers at Werribee. Distribution. — Victoria : Melbourne district, Werribee River (Melb. Mus.) ; Maryborough (L. and F.) Not recorded from outside Victoria. Aprasia, Gray. Parietal bones distinct. Tongue rounded and slightly nicked at the tip. Ear concealed. Slight rudiments of hind limbs externally. Head with large symmetrical plates ; no parietal 40 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. plates. Scales smooth, cycloid, imbricate, those on the belly- scarcely enlarged. No prseanal pores. The single species is confined to Australia. Aprasia pulchella, Gray. Aprasia pulchella., Gray, Cat., p. 68. Aprasia pulchella, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N. H. ii., 1839, p. 332, and in Grey's Trav. Austral, ii., pi. iv., fig. 2 ; Liitken, Vidensk. Meddel., 1862, p. 300, pi. i., fig. 3 ; Giinther, Ann. and Mag. N. H. (4), xii., 1873, p. 145; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 161, tig. 1. Description. — " Head very small, with very prominent rounded snout ; eyes well developed, with circular scaly rudimentary lid. Body calamiform. Tail shorter than the body, of subequal diameter throughout, its end obtuse, rounded. Rudiments of hind limbs extremely small, hardly distinct. Rostral very high, narrow, the portion seen from above the snout triangular ; nostril pierced between the first labial and a very large nasal, which forms a suture with its fellow on the snout ; a pair of large prsefrontals, forming a suture with the second labial ; a large hexagonal frontal, the posterior angle of which is rounded off; four or five enlarged occipital scales, but no parietals ; a supra- orbital ; a narrow praeorbital ; no loreal ; five or six upper labials, third and fourth entering the orbit ; mental large, broadly trapezoid; two or three lower labials, anterior very large. Twelve series of scales round the body. Three slightly enlarged anal scales. Colour. — Yellowish or pinkish, with eight dark -brown lines above following the longitudinal series of scales, or with series of brown dots arranged in four widely separated longitu- dinal series on the back and very crowded on the sides. Head 6 mm. Body .. 112 „ Tail 64 „ Diameter of Body 3-5 „ " — Boulenger Distribution. — Victoria: Portland, Lake Wallace (Melb. Mus.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia (Brit. Mus.). The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 41 LiALis, Grray. Parietal bones coalesced. Teetli sharply pointed, directed backwards. Tongue elongate, nar roving towards the end, bifid. Ear exposed. Slight rudiments of hind limbs externally. Head covered with small plates. Scales soft, smooth, cycloid, imbricate, the two median series on the belly and the median series under the tail transversely enlarged, hexagonal. Prpeanal pores in both sexes, frequently indistinct in females. This monotypic genus is found in Australia and in New Guinea. LiALis BURTONii, Gray. Lialis burtonii^ Gray, Cat., p. 69. Lialis bicatenata, Gray, Cat., p. 69. Lialis pzmctulata, Gray, Cat., p. 69. Lialis burtonii, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1834, p. 134 ; Dum. and Bibr. v., p. 831 ; Gray in Grey's Trav. Austral, ii., p. 437, pi iii., fig. 1, and Zool. Misc., p. 52, and Zool. Erebus and Terror Kept., p. 5, pi. viii., fig. 2 ; A. Dum. Cat. Meth. Rept., p. 194 ; Giinther, Ann. Mag. N. H. (3) xx., 1867 p. 46 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict, pi., 162. Lialis bicatenate^ Cray, Zool. Misc., p. 52, and Zool. Erebus and Terror, p. 5; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1873, p. 606. Lialis punctulata^ Gray, Zool. Misc., p. 52, and Zool. Erebus and Tei ror, p. 5, pi. viii., tig. 1 ; Giinther, I.e. Lialis leptorhyncha., Peters, i.e., p. 605. Description. — "Snout narrow, depressed, long, acuminate, truncate at the tip, with angular canthus rostralis ; eye small, with circular scaly rudimentary lid; ear-opening elliptical, oblique. Tail, when intact, nearly as long as head and body, gradually tapering to a fine point. Rudiments of hind-limbs extremely small, scarcely distinct, especially in females. Four or five prseanal pores, frequently indistinct in females. Snout covered with small plates, variable in number and arrangement ; three supraorbitals, median large ; loreal region covered with numerous small scales ; the rest of the liead with equal scales ; rostral very low ; nostril pierced in the posterior portion of a nasal ; thirteen to seventeen upper labials, all very small, separated from the 42 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. orbit by two or three rows of scales ; mental rather large, trape- zoid or pentagonal ; twelve to sixteen lower labials ; a series of dilated gular scales on each side, separated from the lower labials by one or two rows of scales. Nineteen or twenty-one (occasion- ally twenty, according to Peters) longitudinal rows of scales round the middle of the body ; the dilated ventral scales in seventy to one hundred pairs. Three or five anal scales. Colour. — Ground-colour brown, gray, reddish, or yellowish, variously marked or uniform. Head ... ... ... 27 mm. Body 220 „ Tail 270 „ This lizard varies extremely in the degree of elongation of the snout, in the scutellation of the head, in the number of rows of scales, and in colour ; but I am satisfied that the several forms hitherto described should be united into one species, which I divide into numerous varieties of colouration." — Boulenger. Distribution. — Victoria : Wimmera. Range outside Victoria. — Distributed over the whole of Australia and adjacent islands. AGAMID^. Characters of the Family. External Form. Somewhat variable but usually with large Head and Body and long much tapering tail. Ornamental appendages, such as crests, gular pouches, braids and frills, are often present, either in males only or in both sexes. Tongue thick, entirely attached or slightly free in front, not or but slightly nicked anteriorly. Tail usually long and not fragile. Limbs, both pairs well-developed, almost always pentadac- tyle. The digits are usually keeled inferiorly or denticulated laterally. Eye and Ear. — The eye small with circular pupil, protected by well-developed upper and lower movable eyelids. The tympanum exposed or concealed under the skin. The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 43 Teguments. The skin always covered with scales, of which some are often conical or spinose. The head is not plated. The skin of the head quite free from the bones of the skull. Endo-skekton. Skull not much depressed, strongly ossified. Premaxillary single. Nasals distinct. Frontal single. Parietal single. Post- orbital arch present. Postfronto-squamosal arch present. Ptery- goids widely separated, without teeth. A columella cranii and OS transversum. Mandible. Teeth acrodont, usually of three kinds, viz., incisors, canines and molars. Limb-arches well-developed. Clavicle not dilated. Interclavicle T-shaped or anchor-shaped, frequently small. Sternum usually presents two fontanelles. Bones of limbs including those of digits, well developed. Mode of reproduction. — Ovipai'ous. Amphibolurus, Wagler. Tympanum distinct. Body more or less depressed. Dorsal crest absent or feebly developed. No gular sac ; a strong transverse gular fold. Tail round or feebly compressed, Prseanal and femoral pores. Australia. Amphibolurus adelaidensis. Gray. Grammatophora angulifera, var. 2, Gray, Cat., p. 253. Grammatophora nmricata, var. adelaidetisis, Gray in Grey's Trav. Austr. ii., p. 439. Grammatophora adelaidensis, Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror Rept., pi. xviii., fig. 2. Description. — " Habit stout. Head short ; snout nearly as long as the diameter of the orbit ; nostril equally distant from 44 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. the eye and the end of the snout ; tympanum scarcely half the diameter of the orbit ; upper head-scales strongly keeled ; small spinose tubercles on the back of the head ; sides of neck strongly plicate ; a more or less distinct dorso-lateral fold. Gular scales smaller than ventrals, keeled. Body much depressed, covered with irregular strongly keeled scales, largest on the vertebral region, intermixed with enlarged trihedral spinose scales forming very irregular longitudinal series ; a more or less regular vertebral series of enlarged scales ; ventral scales keeled. Limbs short, the adpressed hind-limb reaching the shoulder or the neck in females, the tympanum or a little beyond in males ; scales on upper surface of limbs unequal, strongly keeled. A series of twenty to thirty pores extending on more than the proximal half of the thighs, continuous or interrupted on the pr?eanal region. Tail round, depressed at the base, not once and two-thirds the length of head and body ; scales strongly keeled at the base with four or five longitudinal series of enlarged ones, the outer series, on the side, composed of large trihedral tubercles. Colour. — Pale olive- grey above, with a regular series of angular dark-brown, white- edged spots on each side of the vertebral region, and another more or less regular along each side ; head with symmetrical dark markings ; limbs with irregular dark cross bars ; tail with two series of dark spots ; lower parts white, the throat marbled with black in the male, less distinctly with grey in the female ; in the male an elongate black spot on the chest and blackish variegations on the chest and belly. Total length ... ... 126 mm. Head 13 „ Width of head 11 „ Body 35 „ Fore-limb 21 „ Hind-limb 33 „ Tail 78 „ "— Boulenger. Distribution. — Victoria : Dimboola (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia (Swan River) ; var. tasmanensis^ from Tasmania (Brit. Mus.). TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 45 Amphibolurus pictus, Peters. Amphibolurus ornatus (non Gray) Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 230. piclus, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1866, p. 88. Gramniatophora picta, Giinth.,Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept.,p. 18. Description. — " Habit stout. Head very short, snout shorter than the diameter of the orbit ; nostril equally distant from the eye and the tip of the snout ; tympanum large, nearly two-thirds the diameter of the orbit; upper head-scales subequal, tubercular, smallest on the supraorbital region ; a series of enlarged scales from the nostril to above the tympanum, passing below the eye. Sides of neck strongly plicate ; no dorso-lateral fold. Gular scales smaller than ventrals, smooth. Body much depressed, covered with very small uniform feebly keeled scales smallest on the sides ; a slight ridge along the middle of the back ; ventral scales smooth. Limbs and digits rather short, the adpressed hind-limb reaching the tympanum or between the latter and the orbit ; scales on upper surface of limbs small, equal, keeled. A series of thirty-two to forty-five pores extending along the whole length of the thighs, continuous or interrupted on the prajanal region. Tail round, a little depressed at the base, not twice as long as head and body, covered with equal, feebly keeled scales. Colour. — Grey-brown above, with small darker and lighter spots ; a series of transverse black spots on the back separated or connected by a black vertebral line ; throat and chest mottled with blackish." — Boulenger. Total length 150 mm, Head 15 „ Width of head ... 13 „ Body 42 „ Fore-limb ... 23 „ Hind-limb ... 42 „ Tail ... 93 „ Habits. — A single female specimen of this lizard was obtained by Mr. F. M. Reader, of Dimboola. On dissection, the oviduct was found to contain three eggs, in none of which was there any trace of an embryo. Distridution. — Victoria : Dimboola. Range outside Victoria. — South and West Australia. 46 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Ampiiibolurus ANfJULiFER, Gray. Grammatophora a/igiiiifera, vai-. 1, Gray, Cat., p. 252. Grammatophora imiricata, var. diemensis, Gray, Grey's Trav. Austr. ii., ^. 439. Agama ccetaticeps, Smith, 111. S. Afr. Rept., pi. Ixxiv. Grain matophora angutifera, Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror, pi. xviii., tig. 3. Description — " Habit stout. Head short, snout as long as the diameter of the orbit; nostril equally distant from the eye and the tip of the snout, tympanum measuring nearly half the diameter of the orbit, upper head-scales rough, strongly keeled. Sides of neck strongly plicate and studded with small spines ; a distinct dorso-lateral fold. Gular scales a little smaller than ventrals, keeled. Body much depressed, covered above with very irregular strongly keeled scales intermixed with enlarged spinose ones ; the latter form a zig-zag series on each side of the vertebral region, the scales of which are not enlarged, and a longitudinal series following the dorso-lateral fold ; they are irregularly scattered on the flanks ; ventral scales strongly keeled and mucronate. Limbs and digits short ; the adpressed hind-limb reaches the tympanum or between the latter and the orbit ; spinose scales scattered on the limbs. Femoral pores four to six on each side, not extending beyond the basal half of the thighs ; prseanal pores two to five on each side. Tail round, depressed at the base, once and two- thirds to once and three-fourths as long as head and body, above with five longitudinal series of strongly enlarged spinose scales. Colour. — Brown above, sides darker ; a festooned dark-brown, black-edged band along the back ; lower surfaces pale-brown, usually dotted or reticulated with darker. Total length 199 mm. Head 20 Width of head 17 Body 56 Fore-limb ... ... 32 Hind-limb 47 Tail 123 „ "— Boulenger. Habits. — Met with amongst rocks at considerable elevations in the mountains. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 47 Distrilnition. — Victoria : Mount Wellington in N. Gippsland, Walhalla, Harrietville in Australian Alps (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Tasmania, Sydney, Port Denison (Brit. Mus.); Mt. Lofty, South Australia. Amphibolurus muricatus, White. Granwiatophora f/iuricata, Gray, Cat., p. 251. Lacerta inuricata, White, Journ. N. S. Wales, App., p. 244, pi. xxxi., fig. 1 ; Shaw, Zool. iii, p. 211, pi. Ixv., tig. 2. Agama muricata, Daud, Rept. iii., p. 391. Agama jacksoniefisis, Kuhl, Beitr. Zool. Vergl. Anat., p. 113; Guerin, Icon. R. A. Rept., pi. iii. Granwiatophora muricata., Kaup, Isis, 1827, p. 261 ; Dum. and Bibr. iv., p. 475 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 111. Amphibolurus tnuricatus, Wiegni. Herp. Mex., p. 17 ; Girard, U. S. Expl. Exp. Herp., p. 414. Ainphibolurus maculijo-us., Girard, Proc. Ac. Philad., 1857, p. 198, and U. S. Exph Exp. Herp., p. 417. Description. — '' Habit moderate. Head rather elongate, snout longer than the diameter of the orbit ; canthus rostralis angular ; nostril equally distant from the eye and the end of the snout ; tympanum measuring nearly half the diameter of the orbit ; upper head scales strongly keeled ; back of head and borders of the tympanum with small spines. Sides of neck strongly plicate ; a more or less distinct dorso-lateral fold frequently disappearing altogether in the adult. Gular scales a little smaller than ventrals, feebly keeled. Body moderately depressed, covered above with very irregular small keeled scales intermixed with some very numerous, enlarged, strongly keeled, spinose scales, some of which form regular series along the back ; a low serrated vertebral ridge or crest ; ventral scales feebly keeled, shortly mucronate. Limbs moderately elongate, the adpressed hind-limb reaching the eye or between the latter and the tympanum ; limbs with strongly keeled scales of unequal size. Femoral pores three or four on each side, not extending beyond the proximal half of the thigh, prseanal pores two on each side. Tail round, twice or more than twice as long as head and body, covered above with strongly keeled scales of unequal size. Colour. — Brown above, with 48 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. a series of angular darker spots along the middle of the back ; sontetinies a lighter band along each side of the latter ; lower surfaces lighter brown, uniform or indistinctly spotted with darker. Total length 307 mm. Head 29 ,, Width of head ... 24 Body 73 „ Fore-limb 41 ,, Hind-limb 76 ,, Tail 205 ,, " — Boulenger. Habits. — Usually met with on the trunks or branches of trees and shrubs. In colour closely resembles the bark. Very common in the sandy districts on the south coast, especially on the Leptospermum scrub. " It is fond of basking in the sun on sandy paths .... In confinement feeds readily on flies." — " The eggs are laid in the sand." — (McCoy). Distrihction. — Victoria : Melbourne, Caulfield, Plenty River,. Upper Yarra, Damper Creek, Gippsland, Goulburn River, Stawell (Melb. Mus.); Drysdale, Tallarook, Rutherglen (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Western Australia, Tasmania, Sydney (Brit. Mus.). Amphibolurus barbatus, Cuvier. Grammatophora barbata, Gray, Cat., p. 252. Agama barbata, Cuv. R. A. 2nd ed. ii., p. 35 ; Duvern. R. A., Rept., pi. xiv., fig. 1. Grammatophora barbata, Kaup. Isis, 18i;7, p. 621 ; Dum. and Bibr. iv., p. 478; Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror Rept., pi. xviii., fig. 1 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 121. Amphibolurus barbatus, Wieg. Herp. Mex., p. 7. Description. — " Habit stout. Head large, swollen at the sides ; snout a little longer than the diameter of the orbit, with angular canthus rostralis ; nostril large, directed backwards, nearly equally distant from the eye and the end of the snout ; tympanum nearly half the diameter of the orbit ; upper head-scales keeled, largest on the snout ; a transverse series of larger scales borders the head posteriorly, forming a right angle The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 49 with another series above the ear. Sides of neck with group of spines ; no distinct dorso-lateral fold. Gular scales as large as veutrals, feebly keeled, moi'e or less mucronate, sometimes produced into spines. Body much depressed ; scales on the middle of the back largest, unequal, keeled, the enlarged ones sometimes forming transverse series ; on the sides, the scales almost granular and intermixed with numerous erect conical spines ; ventral scales feebly keeled. Limbs, and especially digits, short ; the adpressed hind-limb reaches the axilla or the shoulder ; four or five femoral and two or three prpeanal pores on each side. Tail round, depressed at the base, once and a half to twice as long as head and body, above with large unequal strongly keeled or spinose scales forming more or less regular cross series. Colour. — Brown above, uniform or with symmetrical darker markings ; usually a black spot on each side of the neck ; lower surfaces brown or brownish, uniform or with lighter or darker spots ; the throat blackish in the adult male. Total length 530 mm. Head 67 „ Width of head . . . 65 „ Body 163 „ Fore-limb... 92 „ Hind-limb ... 123 „ Tail ... 300 „ -Boulenger. Habits. — Usually found on the ground, or fallen trees and fences. When irritated, it raises its head, opens its mouth and extends the fi'ill, at the same time expanding its ribs so that the body assumes almost the form of a disk. It will then bite savagely, but the result is rarely more than a hard pinch. Mode of reproduction. — Eggs usually twelve or fourteen. The oviduct of one captured in October contained fourteen full-size eggs with definite groups of two other sizes, one the size of small peas and the other about the size of millet seed. This seems to point to three consecutive layings. Distribution. — Victoria : " Rare near Melbourne but becomes gradually more abundant in all the more northern warm localities up to the Murray boundary " (McCoy, Prod. Zool. Vict.); North of the Divide (L. and R) 50 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Range outside Victoria : New South Wales, Queensland, West and North West Australia. Tympanoceyptis, Peters. Tympanum hidden. Body depressed, covered above with hetero- geneous scales. No dorsal crest. No gular sac ; a strong transverse gular fold. Tail round. A prseanal pore on each side, sometimes absent in the female ; no femoral pores. Australia. Tympanocryptis lineata, Peters. Tympanocryptis lineata, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 186.3, p. 230; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 181. Description. — " Habit very stout. Head short ; nostril nearer to the eye than the tip of the snout; upper head-scales moderately large, very strongly keeled, with slightly enlarged ones on the occiput. Dorsal scales very strongly keeled, the enlarged ones nail-shaped, raised, not or scarcely mucronate ; gular and ventral scales indistinctly keeled. The adpressed hind-limb reaches the shoulder or the neck. Tail rather slender, covered with very strongly keeled scales, not more than once and a half the length of head and body. Colour. — Brownish above, with regular darker transverse spots, and five interrupted longitudinal light lines, three on the back and one on each side ; limbs and tail with dark bars. Total length 122 mm. Head 15 „ Width of head 14 „ Body 43 „ Fore-limb... ... ... 23 ,, Hind-limb 33 „ Tail ... ... ... 64 ,, " — Boulenger. Habits. — " Inhabiting stony plains and retreating into small holes, like those of the ' Trap-door Spider,' in the ground when alarmed." (McCoy, I.e.) Often met with under loose basalt boulders. Distribution. — Victoria : Salt-water River, Maryborough, Rutherglen (F. and L.); Sunbury (McCoy). Range outside Victoria. — South Australia : Kangaroo I. (Brit. Mus.) TJie Lizards indis^enous to Victoria. 51 Physignathus, Cuvier. Tympanum distinct. Body more or less compressed. Nuchal and dorsal crests present. No gular sac, a strong transverse gular fold. Tail more or less compressed. Toes not lobate. Femoral pores present, at least in the male. Australia and Papuasia ; Siam and Cochin China. Physignathus lesueurii, Gray. Physig7iathus lesueurii, Gray, Cat., p. 248. Lophura lesueurii. Gray, GrifF., A. K., ix,, Syn., p. 60. Istiurus lesueurii, Dum. and Bibr., p. 384, pi. xl. Amphiboluriis heterurus, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1866, p. 86. Physignathus lesueurii, Giinth., Ann. Mag. N.H. (.3) xx., 1867, p. 51. Physignathus lestteurii, var. howittii, McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 81. Description. — " Head moderately elongate, large and thick in the male ; snout slightly longer than the diameter of the orbit ; nostril nearer the end of the snout than the orbit ; canthus rostralis, supraciliary and supraorbital borders forming slight ridges ; tympanum half the diameter of the orbit ; upper head-scales very small, very strongly keeled ; occiput and temple with numerous conical and compi'essed tubercles. Gular scales subimbricate, indistinctly keeled, intermixed on the sides with enlarged suboval tubercles forming irregular longitudinal series ; some of the hindermost of these tubercles conical ; a row of slightly enlarged shields on each side, parallel with the infra- labials. Nuchal crest composed of a few triangular compressed spines ; dorsal crest a serrated ridge. Dorsal scales minute, granular or subimbricate, keeled, intermixed with enlarged, roundish, keeled tubercles forming irregular transverse series ; venti'al scales larger than dorsals, imbricate, keeled. Limbs long, scaled like the back ; the adpressed hind-limb reaches between the eye and the end of the snout. Sixteen to twenty-two femoral pores on each side. Tail strongly compressed, crested like the back, twice and a half times as long as the body ; superolateral scales very small, intermixed at the base of the tail with enlarged 52 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. tubercles ; lower scales larger. Colour. — Dark-olive above, with darker and lighter cross bands ; a broad black band from the eye to above the shoulder, involving the tympanum ; belly pale-olive, dotted with black ; throat with black longitudinal lines in the young." — Boulenger. Total length 466 mm. Head 46 „ Width of head 39 „ Body 120 „ Fore-limb 80 „ Hind-limb 150 „ Tail 330 „ Habits. — Semi-aquatic; found basking in the sun on rocks and fallen logs at the water-side. Distribution. — Victoria : Aberfeldie, Buchan, Upper Welling- ton, and Snowy Rivers. Range outside Victoria : — Queensland. VARANID^. Characters of the Family. External Form. Tongue smooth, veiy long and slender, bitid, retractile into a sheath at the base. Tail very long, not fragile. Limbs, both pairs well developed, pentadactyle. Eye and Ear. — Eyelids well developed. Ear-opening distinct. Tegu7ne?its. Head covered with small polygonal scales. No dermal cranial ossifications. Dorsal scales roundish, juxtaposed, surrounded by rings of minute granules. Ventral scales squarish, arranged in cross rows. No femoral or pr?eanal pores. (The skin of the head attached to the skull-bones.) Endo-skeleton. Skull. — Preemaxillary single, narrowed and much prolonged pos- teriorly. Nasal tones coalesced, narrow. Two frontals ; a single parietal. A supraorbital bone. Postorbital arch incomplete. The Lizards indigeiious to Victoria. 53 A bony postfronto-squamosal arch. Pterygoids and palatines widely separated. Infraorbital fossa bounded by the pterygoid, palatine and transverse bone, the maxillary being excluded. Teeth large, dilated at the base which is fixed to the inner side of the jaws. Palate toothless. Limb-arches. — Clavicle slender. Interclavicle anchor-shaped. Mode of Reproduction. Oviparous. Varaxus, Merrem. The only genus. Characters those of the Family. Varanus varius, Shaw. Hydrosaurus varius, Cray, Cat, p. 12 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 41. Lacerta varia, Shaw in White's Voy. N.S. Wales, p. 246, pi. iii., fig. 2, and Zool. Misc. iii., pi. Ixxxiii. Tupinambis variegatus, Daud., Rept. iii., p. 76. Varanus varius, Meri\ Tent., p. 58 ; Dum. and Bibr. iii., p. 491. Hydrosaurus variegatus, Wagl. Syst. Amph., p. 164. Monitor varius, Gray, Grifi". A.K. ix., Syn., p. 25 ; Schleg. Abbild., p. 78. Varanus {Hydrosaurus) niustelinus, De Borre, Bull. Ac. Belg. (2), xxix., 1870, p. 125. Description. — "Teeth acute, compressed. Snout depressed at the end, measuring the distance from the anterior border of the orbit to the ear ; canthus rostralis obtuse. Nostril suboval, twice nearer the tip of the snout than the orbit. Digits long. Tail compressed, keeled above. Scales of head small, larger than those on the temples ; supraocular scales equal, very small, granular. Scales on upper surfaces small, oval, tectiform. Abdominal scales feebly keeled, in one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty transverse series. Caudal scales keeled ; the caudal keel with a very low, doubly-toothed crest. Colour. — Upper surfaces black, with yellow punctulations arranged in transverse bands on the back and lunate bands on the neck ; limbs with large spots or annuli ; lower surfaces yellow or greenish, with transverse black bands ; tail alternately black and yellow in its posterior half. 54 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Total length 1480 mm. Head 90 „ Neck 130 „ Body 330 „ Fore-liinb 190 „ Hind-limb 250 „ Tail 930 ,, "— Boulenger. Habits.^ — " Although the Lace Lizard is generally arboreal, climbing the forest trees with ease, and running well on the ground, it can swim nearly as well as a crocodile." — McCoy, Prodr. Z.V. " They are very voracious, and eat living or dead animals." The particular food may be the smaller or even larger (if dead) mammals, birds, other lizards, and especially, as the settlers find to their cost, the eggs and young birds of the poultry yard. " They lay about a dozen large, tough, flexible, white eggs, about two-and-a-half inches long, and one-and-a-half inches wide, the young in which are nine or ten inches long." — McCoy, I.e. Distribution. — Victoria : In forest country whether in the warm Murray region or in Gippsland and the south ; replaced in the Wimmera by V. Gouldii. Localities. — Rutherglen, Beechworth, Walhalla, Moe, Cabbage Tree Creek, Anders(m's Inlet (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria : New South Wales, Queensland (Gayndah) (Brit. Mus.). Varanus varius, var. bellii. Hydrosaurus bellii. Gray, Cat., p. 13. Varanus bellii, Dum. and Bibr., iii., p. 493, pi. xxxv. " Black, with a few very broad yellowish cross bands, generally black-dotted ; belly uniform yellowish." Varanus gouldii, Gray. Monitor gouldii, Gray, Cat., p. 12. Hydrosaurus gouldii. Gray, Ann. N.H., i., 1838, p. 394, and in Grey's Travels Austr., ii., p. 422. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 55 Monitor gouidii, Schleg. Abbild., p. 78 ; Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror Kept., pi. iii. ; Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus. Genov., xiii., 1878, pi. i., fig. 4 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., pi. 151. Vara7ws gouldii, A. Dum., Cat. Meth. Kept., p. 52. Description. — "Teeth acute, compressed. Snout depressed at the tip, long, the distance from its end to the anterior corner of the eye equalling the distance from the latter point to the anterior border of the ear ; canthus rostralis sharp. Nostril round, nearer the tip of the snout than the orbit. Digits strong, moderately elongate. Tail strongly compressed, keeled above. Scales of head, including supraoculars, subequal, very small, not larger than those on the temples. Scales of upper surface of body and limbs small, oval, tectiform. Abdominal scales smooth, in one hundred and twenty-live to one hundred and forty trans- verse rows. Caudal scales keeled ; the caudal keel with a very low doubly-toothed crest. Colour. — Brown above with more or less distinct round yellow spots or ocelli on the back and limbs and yellow annuli round the tail; temple with two yellow streaks, separated by a black band ; these streaks extending more or less distinctly along the sides of the neck ; lower surfaces yellowish, uniform or with small blackish spots. Young with the markings much accentuated. Total length .. 1300 mm. Head 80 „ Neck ... 130 „ Body ... 340 „ Fore-limb... ... 200 „ Hind-limb 220 „ Tail ... 750 „ ' — Boulenger. Habits. — "• Found only in the north-west part of the colony, in the hot mallee-scrub country, where it is common, far away from water, running swiftly about the herbage, and sheltering in holes in the ground." Hisses loudly if disturbed. " When irritated it inflates the skin of the body, swelling to a considerably greater size than before, and then the wrinkles disappear." Distribution. — Victoria : Wimmera (McCoy), Rutherglen (L. and F.). 56 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Range outside Victoria : W. Australia, N.W. Australia, Dirk Hartog I., Thursday I., Port Essington, Gayndah (Queensland), (Brit. Mus.). SCINCID^. Characters of the Family. External Form. Head slightly depressed ; body more or less round. Tongue moderately long, free, and feebly nicked in front ; covered with imbricate scale-like papillje. Tail usually long, cylindrical, covered with scales similar to those on the body, rather fragile, slowly reproduced. Li?nbs very various, from well-developed to rudimentary. Eye and Ear. — Eye moderately large, pupil round, eyelids usually well developed, movable — except in Ablepharus — scaly or with a transparent disk. Tympanum, usually more or less exposed. Tegutnents. Skin covered with cycloid-hexagonal rarely rhomboidal imbri- cate scales, which may be either smooth or keeled, dorsals usually the largest, and laterals smallest. Head covered with .symmet- rical shields. No femoral pores. Efido-skeleton. Skull slightly depressed, pi'remaxillary bones two, sometimes incompletely separated ; nasal double ; frontal single or double ; parietal single ; postorbital and postfronto-temporal arclies com- plete, osseous ; interorbital septum and columella cranii well- developed ; infraorbital fossa present, bounded by the maxillary, the transverse bone, the palatine, and often also by the pterygoid. Skull with bony dermal plates over-roofing the supratemporal fossa. Dentition pleurodont ; the teeth conical, bicuspid, or with spha^roidal or compressed crowns ; the new teeth hollow out the base of the old ones. Pterygoid teeth may be present. Vertebra. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 57 Limb-arches. — Pectoral and pelvic arches constantly present. Clavicle dilated and usually perforated proximally ; interclavicle cruciform. Ossified abdominal ribs are absent. Mode of reproduction. Oviparous or viviparous ; eggs oval, shell membranous, flexible. Egernia, Gray. Palatine bones not meeting on the middle line of the palate. Pterygoid teeth few or absent. Lateral teeth with compressed obtusely tricuspid crowns. Eyelids well developed, scaly. Tympanum distinct, deeply sunk. Nostril pierced in the nasal which may be divided by a vertical groove; no supranasals; pr?e- frontals well developed; frontoparietals and interparietal distinct. Limbs well developed, pentadactyle ; digits cylindrical or com- pressed, with transverse lamellye inferiorly. This genus, which is confined to Australia, is represented by nine species, three of which occur in Victoria. Egernia whitii, Lacep. Hinulia ivhitei, Gray, Cat., p. 79 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vic, pi. 191. Scincus whitii, Lacep., Ann. Mus., iv., p. 192 ; Quoy and Gaim., Voy. Uranie, Zool., pi. xlii., figs. 2 and 3. Tiiiqua leucopsis, Gray, Ann. N. H., ii., 1838, p. 29 L Lygosoma molinigera, Dum. and Bibr. v., p. 736. Lygosoina whitei, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 230. Eiiprepes ivhitei, Steindachn, Novara, Rept., p. 49. Description. — "Head moderate. Curved groove behind the nostril absent or feebly marked ; a vertical suture below the nostril ; frontonasal in contact with the rostral and frequently also with the frontal ; prefrontals sometimes forming a median suture ; frontal not twice as long as broad, as long as or a little longer than the frontoparietal ; four or five supraoculars, second largest ; eight or ten supracilliaries ; fifth and sixth, or sixth and seventh upper labials below the eye ; three large temporals ; one or two pairs of nuchals. Ear-opening nearly as large as the eye- opening, with three or four obtuse lobules anteriorly. Scales 58 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. smooth, laterals a little smaller than the dorsals and ventrals, thirty-two to forty round the middle of the body. The adpressed limbs overlap. Digits moderately elongate. Tail more or less distinctly compressed, once and two-fifths to once and two-thirds the length of head and body ; caudal scales smooth. Colour. — Upper surfaces usually brown or olive-brown, with two dorsal black bands, each bearing a series of yellowish-white or pale-brown spots ; sides with similar black-edged spots or ocelli; lower surfaces pale-olive, throat sometimes with black markings." — Boulenger. In hilly country specimens are after met with on which the markings of the upper surfaces have entirely disappeared. The edge of the eyelids and ear lobules are constantly yellow. Total length 295 mm Head 25 „ Width of head ... 18 „ Body 85 „ Fore-limb 33 „ Hind-limb 48 „ Tail 185 „ In Victoria this lizai'd rarely exceeds 250 mm. in length. Habits. — This lizard is usually met with on open stony ground, and dry rocky hills. When disturbed it rapidly disappears under logs or stones. In confinement it makes an interesting little pet, soon becoming tame and readily taking insects from the hand. Its food consists chiefly of insects, although in captivity it will feed on smaller lizards, and in one instance within our knowledge one was known to swallow its own tail. Distribution. — Victoria : Mordialloc, Caulfield, Sun bury, Keilor, Upper Yarra, Jan Juc, Mt. Hope, Grampians, Beaufort (Melb. Mus.). This species is distributed over the whole of the colony (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria : South Australia, West Australia, Houtman's Abrolhos, Tasmania, King Island, Kent Group, Kangaroo Island, New South Wales, Queensland. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 59 Egeenia striolata, Peters. Tropidolepisma striolatum, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, p. 642. Description. — "Head moderate. A curved groove behind the nostril ; frontonasal in contact with the rostral ; prsefrontals forming a median suture ; frontal not twice as long as broad, as large as or smaller than the interparietal ; four supraoculars, second largest ; seven supraciliaries ; fifth or sixth upper labial entering the orbit ; two or three pairs of nuchals. Ear-opening as large as the eye-opening, with three pointed lobules anteriorly. Twenty-eight to thirty-two scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest, quadri- or quinquecarinate, laterals smallest, tri- carinate. The adpressed limbs overlap. Digits moderate. Tail cylindrical, a little longer than the head and body ; a series of large, transversely dilated scales on the upper as well as the lower surface of the tail, the former pluricarinate. Colour. — Brown above with lighter dots and a ligliter dorso-lateral band ; longitudinal, more or less confluent blackish streaks on the vertebral region ; a blackish lateral band ; upper head-shields black edged ; labials yellowish, black-edged ; lower surfaces yellowish or greyish ; throat spotted or reticulated with blackish." The above colouring applies to specimens from the northern parts of the colony, but on the rocky hills and mountains further south, the colour is uniform blackish-brown or with light dots. The upper labials constantly greyish-white. Total length 190 mm. Head ^. 21 „ Width of Head ... 15 „ Body Fore-limb 69 „ 27 „ Hind -limb 36 „ Tail ... 100 „ Habits. — This lizard is usually found amongst the rocks on hills and mountains. Mode of reproduction. — Young developed within the body of the parent, three or four being brought forth at a time. Distribution. ^Victoria. : Gunbower, Pyramid Hill, Upper Yarra, Lilydale, Gippsland (Melb. Mus.) ; Dimboola, Croajin- CO Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. golong, Grampians, Pyramid Hill, Gembrook, Tynong (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Northern Queensland, Gayndah. Egernia cunninghami, Gray. Egernia cunninghami., Gray, Cat., p, 105. Tiliqiia cunninghami., Gray, Proc, Zool. Soc, 1832, p. 40. Egernia cunninghami, Gray, Ann. N.H., ii., 1838, p. 288, and in Stokes, Discov. in Austral., i., p. 499, pi. ii. Tropidolepisma cunninghami., A. Dum., Cat. Meth. Rept., p. 177. Egernia krefftii, Peters, Mou. Berl. Ac, 1871, p. 30. Description. — " Head moderate. A curved groove behind the nostril ; frontonasal in contact with the rostral ; prjefrontals usually forming a median suture ; frontal not twice as long as broad, as lai'ge as or a little larger than the interparietal ; four or five supi'aoculars, second largest ; seven or eight superciliaries ; sixth and seventh, or seventh and eighth upper labials entering the orbit ; two or four pair of nuchals. Ear-opening as large as, or a little larger than the eye-opening, with four or five pointed lobules anteriorly. Nuchal scales pluricarinate, dorsals and laterals sharply unicarinate, ending in a point, the keel and the point becoming stronger towards the tail ; dorsal scales largest, laterals smallest ; thirty-six to forty-two scales round the middle of the body. The adpressed limbs largely overlap. Digits moderate. Tail cylindrical, a little longer than the head and body ; upper caudal scales strongly unicarinate, ending in a spine." Colour. — Olive-brown above with irregular spots or blotches of a darker colour ; in the young speckled with light dots, which usually disappear in the adult ; head-shields edged with black ; lower surfaces whitish or pale-olive spotted or blotched with dark- brown ; throat whitish-olive. Total length 330 Head 35 Width of head ... 25 Body 115 Fore-limb... 46 Hind-limb 62 Tail 180 TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 61 Habits. — Found in rocky places. Distribution. — Victoria : Melbourne, Sunbury, Brighton, Castlemaine, Beechworth, Mt. Stanley. Range outside Victoria. — West Australia, Sydney, Queensland. Trachysaurus, Gray. Palatine bones in contact on the middle line of the palate. Pterygoids toothless. Lateral teeth with subconical crowns. Eyelids well developed, scaly. Tympanum distinct, deeply sunk. Nostril pierced in a single nasal, with a curved groove behind ; no supi'anasals ; a complete series of shields between the orbit and the upper labials ; prsefrontals well developed ; fronto- parietals and interparietal distinct, the latter shield in contact with an azygos occipital. Dorsal scales rhomboidal, rugose. Limbs short, pentadactyle ; digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamellae mostly divided. Tail short, stump-like. This genus, which is represented by only one species, extends over the whole of Australia to which it is confined. Trachysaurus rugosus, Gray. Trachydosaurus rugosus, Gray, Cat., p. 102. asper, Gray, I.e., p. 103. Trachysaurus rugosus, Gray, in King's Voy. Austral., ii., p. 430, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 754 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., dec. xi., pi. 102 ; Haake, Zool. Anz., 1885, p. 435. peronii, Wagl., Icon. Amph. (nee fig.) Brachydactylus typicus. Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Journ., ii., 1835, p. 144, pl.- Trachysaurus typicus. Gray, in Grey's Journ. Austral., ii., [». 423. asper, A. Dum., Cat. Meth. Kept., p. 179. DescriptioJi. — " Head large, very distinct from neck ; snout short, obtuse. Head-shields convex, more or less rugose. F..>nto- hasal the largest head-shield ; praefrontals forming a median suture; two or three supraoculars and five to seven supraciliaries ; frontal and interparietal \arying much in length ; ear-opening about as large as the eye-opening, without lobules. Dorsal scales very large, I'ough, strongly imbricate, suggestive of the fruit of a pine ; ventrals much smaller, smooth ; twenty to thirty scales <)2 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. i(jun(l the middle of the body. Limbs widely separated when adpressed ; digits very short. Tail about as long as the head, stump-like, scaled like the body. Colour. — Dark-brown above, with yellowish spots or irregular cross-bands ; lower surfaces yellowish, spotted or marbled with brown, or with longitudinal and transverse brown streaks. Total length 353 mm. Head GO „ Width of head ... :^^ „ Body 230 „ Fore-limb... 56 „ Hind-limb 57 „ Tail 63 „ ' '— Bouleno( Habits. — Found in dry open country; movements very sluggish. This lizard appears to subsist on a vegeta'ble diet, the stomach of one found on the Grampians contained nothing but fungus and Styphelia berries. Mode of reproduction. — Young developed within the body of the parent. "Brings forth in March a single young one of surprising .size, about half the length of the parent." — McCoy, Prod. Zool. of Vict. Distribution. — Victoria: Kewell, (Melb. Mus.).; Northern parts of the Colony, (McCoy) ; Grampians, Wimmera (L. and F.). TiLiQUA, Gray. Palatine bones in contact on the middle line of the palate. Pterygoids toothless. Lateral teeth with spheroidal crowns.* Eyelids well developed, scaly. Tympanum distinct, deeply sunk. Nostril pierced in a single nasal, with a curved groove behind ; no supranasals ; a complete series of shields between the orbit and the upper labials ; prtefrontals well developed ; frontoparietals and interparietal distinct. Limbs short, pentadactyle ; digits subcylindrical or slightly compressed with undivided transverse lamellae inferiorly. The genus contains live' species which range over Australasia, from Tasmania to the Indo-Malayan Islands. Three of the species occur in Victoria. » E.^cept ill T. aleUtidensis, whicli has the teeth more conical. TJie Liaards indigenons to Victoria. G3 TiLIQUA SCINCOIDKS, AVhite. Cyciodiis gigas, Gray, Cat., p. 103. Lacerta scincoides, White Jour., Voy. N.S. Wales, p. 242, pi. — ; Shaw, Nat. Miscell., v., pi. clxxix. Scifiais crotaphojiielas. Laeep., Ann. Mus., iv., 1804, pp. 192, 209. tiibercidatiis, Merr. Tent., p. 73. Tiliqua iubercidata, Gray, Ann. Phil. (2) x., 1825, p. 201, and in Gray's Yoy. Austr. ii., p. 429. - — - — scincoides^ Fitzing, N. Class Rept., p. 52. ivhitii, Gray, Griff. A.K., ix., Syn., p. 67. crotaphofiielas, Gi-ay, I.e., p. 68. Cyclodus boddoertii, part., Dum. and Bibr. v., p. 752. gigas, Girard, U.S. Explor. Exped., Hei-p., p. 233 ; Strauch, Bull. Ac. St. Petersb., x., 1866, p. 454; McCoy, Prod. Zool. Vict., dec. viii., pi. Ixxi. boddoertii, Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus. Geneva, xiii., 1878, p. 366. Description. — " Frontonasal in contact with the rosti'al ; pr?e- f rontals forming a median suture ; four supraoculars, second largest ; six or seven supraciliaries ; interparietal narrower than the parietals ; scales on the occiput not or but slightly broader than long ; anterior temporals much larger than the others, about as long as the interparietal ; ear-opening about as large as the eye-opening, with two or three large, obtuse lobules. Scales smooth, laterals a little smaller than the dorsals and ventrals, thirty-four to forty round the middle of the body. Fore-limb as long as or a little shorter than the head ; its length in the adulr, contained from three to four times in the distance between axilla and groin. Tail cylindrical, shorter than the body." Colojir. — Olive above with seven or eight more or less distinct dark-brown cross bands ; tine dark-bi'own lines marking the intersection of scales along the upper surface of the neck ; usually with a dark- brown band extending from above the fore-limb to the eye, broken above the ear-opening ; tail with six or seven dark -brown cross bands ; sides and under surfaces greyish, or yellowish, Avith blackish transverse marblings ; throat immaculate or with a few dark spots. Tongue bright Prussian-blue. 04 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Total length Head Width of head Body Fore-limb... Hind-liml) Tail 585 inni. 70 „ 5S „ 265 „ 68 „ 67 „ 250 ., Habits. — Met with in sandy heath country, and on the hill sides in lightly timbered districts. Movements very sluggish. Mode of reproduction. ^0\\\mYO\\^, eggs round, twelve to fifteen laid about December. A female specimen captured in November, on dissection was found to contain fifteen full-size eggs, in none of which was there any trace of an embryo. Distribution. — Victoria: Sunbury, Pyramid Hill (Melb. Mus.); Kew, Wood end, Werribee Gorge (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Tasmania, King Island, New South Whales, Port Essington, Cape York. TiLIQUA NIGRO-LUTEA, Gray. Cyclodus nigroluteus, Gray, Cat., p. 104 ; Quoy. and Gaim., Voy. Uranie Rept., pi. xli. Tiliqua nigroluteas, Gray, Griff. A. K., ix., Syn., p. 68. Cyclodus nigroluteus, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 750 ; Strauch, Bull. Ac, St. Petersb., x., 1866, p. 457. Description. — "Frontonasal in contact with the rostral, and sometimes with the frontal ; four supraoculars ; four or five supraciliaries ; interparietal narrower than the parietals ; scales on the occiput not broader than long • anterior temporals not larger than the others; ear-opening smaller than the eye-opening, with two obtuse lobules ; twenty-eight to thirty scales round the middle of the body, dorsals largest, rather rugose. Fore-limb as long as or slightly longer than the head, its length contained thrice to thrice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Tail not quite half the length of head and body, cylindrical." Colour. — Upper surfaces of head and tail olive-brown, body dull- yellow with blackish-brown irregular longitudinal dashes and transverse bands, leaving the ground colour in from five to seven irregular patches extending from the neck to the base of the tail ; The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 65 tail with from five to seven irregulai' dark-brown, bands ; sides and limbs greyish-olive, marbled with dark-brown; under surfaces yellowish ; throat immaculate, belly variegated with dark-brown reticulations. Tonafue brisjht Prussian-blue. Total length 375 Head 45 Width of head ... 35 Body 210 Fore-limb... 50 Hind-limb 50 Tail . 120 Habits. — In its habits this lizard is similar to T. scincoides but is much more active ; when irritated it opens its mouth and snaps from side to side, at the same time making a sound similar to that made by blowing with a bellows. If allowed to seize one's hand it is some time before it can be made to relax its hold. Its food consists of insects, fungus, and probably the fruit of small shrubs. In confinement it will feed on bread and milk and bits of raw meat. Mode of reproduction. — Young developed within the body of the parent, twelve or fourteen being brought forth at a time. Distribution. — Victoria : Ringwood, Mordialloc, Frankston (Melb. Mus.); Oakleigh, Phillip Island, Plenty Ranges, Fernsliaw, Grampians (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — South Australia, Tasmania. TiLIQUA OCCIPITALIS, PetcrS. • Cydodus occipitalis, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 231 ; Strauch, Bull. Ac, St. Petersb., x., 1866, p. 456. Cydodus fasciatus, Liitken, Vidensk., Meddel., 1862 (1863), p. 292, pi. i., fig. 1 ; Strauch, I.e. Description. — " Frontonasal in contact with the rostral and with the frontal ; three (or two) supraoculars, first largest ; four or five supraciliaries ; interparietal narrower than the parietals ; scales on the occiput longer than broad ; anterior temporals not larger than the others ; ear-opening a little larger than the eye- opening with three obtuse lobules. Scales smooth, forty to forty- two round the middle of the body, latei'als a little smaller than F QG Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. the dorsals and ventrals. Fore-limb slightly longer than the head, its length contained twice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Tail not quite half the length of head and body, very slightly compressed." Colour. — Yellowish above with four or tive dark-brown bands across the body, and three or four others encircling the tail, a broad dark-brown band from the eye to above the ear, limbs and under surfaces yellowish, the distal part of limbs darker above. Toiague bright Prussian-blue. Total length 388 mm. Head 50 „ Width of head . . . 34 „ Body 204 „ Fore-limb 52 „ Hind-limb 54 „ Tail ... 134 „ Distribution. — Victoria : Western district (Melb. Mus.) Range outside Victoria. — South Australia, Swan River. Lygosoma, Fitzing. Palatine bones in contact mesially ; pterygoid bones usually also in contact anteriorly, the palatal notch not extending forwards to between the centre of the eyes ; pterygoid teeth minute or absent. Maxillary teeth conical or obtuse. Eyelids well developed. Ear distinct or hidden ; if distinct, tympanum more or less sunk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; supi'anasals present or absent. Limbs more or less developed, rudimentary, or absent. There are already over 150 known species belonging to this genus, which extends over the whole of Australia, East Indies, China, North and Central America, Tropical and South Africa. Lygosoma. Sub-ge?ius HiNULiA, Gray. Limbs well-developed, pentadactyle ; length of the hind-limb exceeds the distance between the centre of the eye and the fore- limb. Lower eyelid scaly. Tympanum distinct. No supra- The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 07 nasals. Frontal not broader tlian tlie supivaocular region. Frontoparietals distinct. A pair of enlarged prseanals. HiNULiA LESUEURii, Dum. and Bibr. Uinulin austniHs, Gray, Cat., p. 77. Tiliqua australis, Gray, Ann. N.H., ii., 1838, p. 291. Lygosojna lesueurii, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 733. australe, (non Gray), Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1863, p. 231. schomlmrgkii, Peters, I.e. Eiiprepes australis, Steindachn, Novara, Rept., p. 49. Lygosoma (Hinulia) pantherimim., Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1866, p. 89. Hitiulia spaldingi, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc N.S.W., ii., 1877, p. 63. Description. — "Habit slender; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and a half to twice in the distance between axilla and groin ; snout moderate, obtuse ; loreal region nearly vertical. Lower eyelid scaly. Nostril pierced in a single nasal, no supranasal ; no postnasal ; rostral usually in contact \vith the frontonasal ; latter broader than long ; prsefrontals forming a median suture ; frontal as long as or a little longer than the frontoparietals and parietals together, in contact with three anterior supraoculars ; four supraoculars ; eight supraciliaries ; first largest ; frontoparietals distinct, as long as or shorter than the interparietal ; parietals forming a median suture behind the interparietal ; two to four pairs of nuchals ; fifth and sixth or sixth and seventh upper labials below the eye. Ear-opening oval, about as large as the eye-opening, the anterior border with a fringe of four or five lobules. Twenty-four to thirty-four smooth scales round the body ; dorsals, especially the two vertebral series, largest, laterals smallest. Two large prseanals. The hind limb reaches the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore-limb. Toes long and slender, compressed; sub- digital lamellae feebly unicarinate, twenty-two to twenty-six linder the fourth toe. Tail more than twice the length of head and body. Colo2ir. — Brown or olive-brown above, with a black, white-edged vertebral band, and a white, black-edged dorso- f2 68 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. lateral streak ; sides blackish, with regular series of white spots ; a white streak from above axilla to groin. The ground colour may be black, with the usual white markings. Lower surfaces white. Total length 275 mm. Head 16 Width of head 10 Body 69 Fore-limb 24 Hind-limb 40 Tail 190 „ "— Boulenger. Habits. — This lizard is usually found hiddeia under logs and stones, where it often forms channels in the soft ground. Distribution. — - Victoria : Prahran, Sunbury, Pyramid Hill (Melb. Mus.) ; Grampians, Bendigo, Brown's Plains, Castlemaine, Beechworth, Mount Stanley (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Fairly well distributed over the whole of Australia and adjacent islands. HiNULiA T^NiOLATA, White. Hinnlia tcEniolata, Gray, Cat., p. 78. Lacerta tceniolata, White, Journ. N.S.W., p. 245, pi. — ; fig. 1. Scincus actolineatus, Daud., Kept., iv., p. 285. fceniotatiis, Merr. Tent, p. 72. iindecinistriatus, Kuhl, Beitr. z. Zool. u. Vergl. Anat., p. 129. niulti/ineatus, Lesson, Voy. Coquille, Zool., ii., p. 45, pi. iii., fig. 2. Tiliqiia tceniolata, Gray, Griff". A. K., ix., Syn., p. 68. Lygosoma tceniolata, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 733 ; Hallow, Proc. Ac. Philad., 1860, p. 490. Hinulia tceniolata, Girard, U.S. Explor. Exped., Herp. p. 258. Eiiprepes tceniolata, Steindachn. Novara, Rept., p. 49. Descriptio7i. — '^' Habit slender ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and a half to once and four-fifths in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout moderate, obtuse ; loreal region nearly vertical. Lower eyelid scaly. Nostril jDierced in a single nasal ; no supranasal • The Lizards indigenotis to Victoria. 69 no postnasal ; rostral sometimes in contact with the frontonasal ; latter broader than long, forming a suture with the frontal; frontal as long as or a little longer than the frontoparietals and parietals together, in contact with the three anterior supraoculars; four supraoculars; seven to nine supraciliaries, first largest; fronto- parietals distinct, as long as or shorter than the interparietal; pari- etals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; three to five pairs of nuchals ; fifth and sixth upper labials largest and below the eye. Ear-opening oval, a little smaller than the eye-opening, with a fringe formed by three to live lobules anteriorly. Twenty-four to twenty-six smooth scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals, especially the two vertebral series, largest, laterals smallest. Two large prteanals. The adpressed limbs slightly overlap, or the hind limb reaches the elbow. Toes long and slender, compressed ; sub-digital lamellae feebly unicarinate, twenty to twenty-six under the fourth toe. Tail about twice the length of head and body. Colour. — Yellowish-brown above, with three broad black bands and four white streaks along the back ; sides without any spots, with alternating black and white longitudinal streaks ; altogether eight white streaks on the body, the two on each side broadest ; limbs with longitudinal black lines. Lower surfaces white." Total length 2.30 mm. Head 14 „ Width of head ... 9 „ Body 61 „ Fore-limb 19 „ Hind-limb 33 „ Tail 155 „ "- -Boulenger Habits. — Movements very quick. Found in open stony districts. Distribution. — Victoria : A single specimen found at Beech- worth. Range outside Victoria. — Sydney, Parramatta. '* HiNULiA QUOYi, Dum. and Bibr. Quoy and Gaim., Voy. Uranie, Zool., pi. xlii., fig 1. Lygosoina quoyii, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 728. Hinulia gastrosticta, Giinth., Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Kept., p. 11. 70 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Description. — " Body slightly depressed ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and one- fourth to once and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout moderate, obtuse. Lower eyelid scaly. Nostril pierced in a single nasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a narrow suture with the rostral ; prtefrontals forming a median suture or in contact with their inner angles ; frontal as long as frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the two or three anterior supraoculars ; four supraoculars, usually followed by a very small fifth ; nine supraciliaries : fronto- parietals and interparietal distinct, equal, or latter a little shorter than former ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; three enlarged shields on each side, bordering the parietals ; sixth upper labial largest and below the eye. Ear-opening oval, nearly as large as the eye-opening ; no auricular lobules. Thirty- six to forty scales round the middle of the body ; ventrals largest, laterals smallest ; dorsal scales smooth or tricarinate (young). A pair of large prseanals. The hind-limb reaches the wrist or the elbow. Digits slightly compressed ; subdigital lamellse smooth, divided, twenty-seven to thirty-two under the fourth toe. Tail about twice as long as head and body. Colour. — Brown or olive-brown above, with small scattered black spots ; sides black, with small whitish spots ; a yellow dorso-lateral line ; lower surfaces whitish ; throat, and sometimes also belly, with longi- tudinal series of black dots." Total length 285 mpi. Head 24 „' Width of head . . . 15 ,. Body 71 „ Fore-limb 30 „ Hind-limb 46 „ Tail ... 190 „ '— Bouleuger Habits. — Usually found in open flats and gullies, often in or under hollow logs. In confinement it will feed on flies, termites, worms, caterpillars, and also on smaller lizards. Whilst on a trip to Noojee recently, where this species is fairly numerous, a female, which appeared to contain ova, was selected and placed in a bag. A few days after, on opening the TJie Lizards vidigenons to Victoria. 71 bag it was found she had given birth to four young ones. These with the parent were placed in a box containing some earth and fiat stones, and covered partly with glass and partly with wire gauze. After a few days tlie young ones began to take food ; they would readily seize anything moving, in the shape of a small grub or caterpillar, but were alarmed at the fluttering of a large moth. When the parent had made a capture the young ones would timidly approach and make a grab at whatever she held in her mouth, but she always seemed disinclined to surrender any portion of it. She showed no anxiety when the young ones were separated from her. Sometimes when trying to capture a fluttering moth, if one of the young ones appeared in front of her she would seize it, but having discovered her mistake, after a few seconds she would drop it unhurt. What appears to be a remarkable exhibition of intelligence on the part of this lizard occured about this time. A large moth was placed in the cage and was immediately set upon by the lizard which it managed to elude for some time. At length the lizard seized it by the end of the abdomen. The wings being free it continued to flutter in spite of the efforts of the lizard to crush the life out of it by pushing it against the stones ; at last she carried it to the end of the cage where there was a dish of water into this she plunged the moth and held it there for about twenty seconds ; this completely damped the ardour as well as the wings of the moth, and for a time the fluttering ceased. She then carried it to the top of one of the stones, when the young ones, who had disappeared beneath during the struggle, emerged from their hiding places and timidly approached ; presently one of them made a snap at the moth's leg and pulled it off", causing another flutter. The same method of crushing it against the stones and sides of the cage was again tried but without success. Failing in this she carried it to the water a second time, and held it under for about half-a-minute, after which she swallowed it, pushing the wings off in the operation. Distribution. — Victoria : St. Kilda, Suubury, Keilor, Upper Yarra, Yarragon, Toora, Gunbower (Melb. Mus.) ; distributed all over the Colony (L. and R). Range outside Victoria. — Kangaroo Island, Rockhampton, Queensland. 72 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Lygosoma. Sub-genus Liolepisma, Dum. and Bibr. Limbs well developed ; the length of the hind-limb exceeds the distance between the centre of the eye and the fore-limb. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Tympanum distinct. No supranasals. Rostral forming a suture with the frontonasal. Frontal not broader than the supraocular region. One or more pairs of enlarged nuchals. LlOLKPISMA MUSTELINUM, O'Shaughn. Mocoa mustelina, O'Shaugn., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (4), xiii., 1874, p. 299, and (5). iv., 1879, p. 300. Lygosoma (Mocoa) lacry?nans, Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus. Genova, xiii., 1878, p. 348. ( ) sonderi, Peters, Sitzb. Ges. Nat. Freunde, 1878, p. 191. ( ) orichalceu?n, Boettg. Ber. Ofienb., Yer. Naturk., xvii.-xviii., 1878, p. 2, pi. i, fig 1. Description. — " Habit slender, body elongate. The distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and two-thirds to twice in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided trans- parent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal, which is quite lateral ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a very broad suture with the rostral, and a narrower one with the frontal ; latter shield as long as or a little shorter than the frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the two anterior supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; six or seven supraciliaries ; frontoparietals normally distinct (united in some specimens), as long as or a little longer than the inter- parietal ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal, bordered by a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals ; fourth upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening oval, not larger than the transparent palpebral disk. Twenty-two to twenty-four smooth scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest. Prseanals not or but feebly enlarged. The adpressed limbs fail to meet. Digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamella? smooth. .35 mm. 10 6 35 11 16 90 ,, " — Boulenger, ider logs, and amongst TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 73 sixteen to nineteen under the fourth toe. Tail twice as long as head and body. Colour. — Pale brown or yellowish-brown above, golden on the sides and on the tail ; each dorsal scale with three or more brown lines ; sides usually with interrupted brown longitudinal lines ; a white brown edged spot or streak below the posterior border of the eye ; lips brown dotted ; lower surfaces yellowish-white, sides of throat and belly with fine brown lines or series of dots ; two longitudinal lines of confluent brown dots under the tail. Total length Head Width of head ... Body Fore-limb Hind-limb Tail Habits. — This lizard is usually found undei the herbage on the hillsides. Distribution. — Victoria : St. Kilda, Mulgrave, Dandenong Ranges, Upper Yarra, Waterloo, Lakes Entrance (Melb. Mus.); Ringwood, Ferntree Gully, Healesville, Croajingolong (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — South Australia, New South Wales. LiOLEPiSMA ENTRECASTEAUXii, Dum. and Bibr, Mocoa entrecasteauxii, Gray, Cat., p. 82. Lygosonia entrecasteauxii., Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 717. Mocoa pseudocarinata, O'Shaughn., Ann. Mag. N.H. (4), xiii., 1874, p. 300. pseudotropis, Giinth., Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept., p. 13. Description. — " The distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and two-fifths to once and three-fourths in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with a very large transparent disk, nearly the whole of the eye being visible when the lid is closed. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal • frontonasal broader than long, forming a suture with the rostral and with the 74 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. frontal ; latter shield as long as or a little shorter than fronto- parietals and interparietal together, in contact with the first and second supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; five or six supraciliaries ; frontoparietals distinct, longer than the inter- parietal ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; two or three paii's of nuchals ; fifth, rarely sixth, upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening roundish, smaller than the transparent palpebral disk, without distinct lobules. Twenty-eight to thirty-two scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest and usually more or less distinctly striated or obtusely pluricarinate. Prseanals not or scarcely enlarged. The adpressed limbs usually meet or overlap. Digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamellse smooth, seventeen to twenty under the fourth toe. Tail once and one-third to once and two-thirds the length of head and body." Colour. — Olive above, with three black longi- tudinal bands, laterals broadest and edged above and below by a light streak ; in some specimens both bands and streaks are absent, in which case the ground colour is much lighter and more or less spotted with dark brown or black. Lower surfaces greyish or greenish, sometimes dull reddish-orange. Total length 124 mm. Head 10 „ Width of head 7 „ Body 41 „ Fore-limb ... ... 14 ,, Hind-limb 18 „ Tail 73 „ Habits. — Usually met with amongst the grass and herbage in open scrubby districts. Movements very quick. Mode of reproduction — Oviparous, eggs oval, three to five laid in January. Distribution. — Victoria : Melbourne (Melb. Mus.) ; Sandring- ham, Carrum, Tynong, Mt. Baw Baw (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Tasmania. LlOLEPISMA TRILINEATUM, Gray. Mocoa trilifieata, part.. Gray, Cat., p. 81. Tiliqtia trilineaia, Gray, Ann. N.H., ii., 1838, p. 291. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 75 Lygosoina diiperreyi, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 715 ; A. Dum., Cat. Meth. Rept., p. 167. E^iprepes dtiperreyi, Steind. Novara, Rept., p. 47. Description — " Body much elongate ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and a half to twice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided trans- parent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal forming a suture with the rostral, the width of which suture is considerably less than the width of the frontal, and a narrower one with the frontal ; latter shield as long as, or shorter than, the frontoparietal, in contact with the two anterior supra- oculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; five or six supra- ciliaries ; frontoparietal single (rarely divided) ; a very small interparietal, behind which the parietals form a suture ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; fifth upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening oval, about as large as the transparent palpebral disk, without or with one or two obtuse lobules. Twenty-six or t?wenty-eight scales round the middle of the body; dorsals largest and sometimes feebly striated. Prfeanals not or scarcely enlarged. The adpressed limbs usually fail to meet. Digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamellae smooth, nineteen to twenty-three under the fourth toe. Tail once and one-third to once and three-fourths the length of head and body. Colour. — Bronzy-olive above, with a black, light-edged lateral band; frequently the light lateral streaks are again edged with black, and a vertebral black streak is present; lower surfaces grayish or greenish white. Total length 173 mm. Head 12 „ Width of head ... 8 Body 51 ,'' Fore-limb 15 „ Hind-limb 23 „ Tail 110 „ ' ' — Boulenger. Habits. — Habits similar to Z. entrecasteauxii, to which it is very closely allied. 76 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Distribution. — Victoria: Melbourne, Ringwood, Keilor, Brandy Creek, Western Port, Western District (Melb. Mus.) ; Melbourne^ Kew, Carrum, Myrniong, Castlemaine, Grampians (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Kent Group, Tasmania, New South Wales, West Australia. LlOLEPISMA METALLICUM, O'ShaUghn. Mocoa ocellata, part.. Gray, Cat., p. 82. Mocoa metallica, O'Shaughn, Ann. and Mag. N.H. (4), xiii., 1874, p. 299. Description. — " Tlie distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and two-fifths to once and two- thirds in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a suture with the rostral and with the frontal ; latter shield shorter than frontoparietal and interparietal together ; in contact with the first and second supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; six or seven supraciliaries ; fronto- parietal single (in one specimen divided) ; interparietal distinct ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; fifth upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening roundish, as large as or a little larger than the transparent palpebi'al disk, without distinct lobules. Twenty-four to twenty-eight scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest and usually more or less distinctly striated or pluricarinate. Pneanals not or but feebly enlarged. The adpressed limbs meet or slightly overlap. Digits cylindrical • subdigital lamellfe smooth eighteen to twenty- two under the fourth toe. Tail about once and a half the length of head and body. Colour. — Bronzy-olive above, with small dark- brown spots, sometimes with a dark-brown vertebral streak ; sides dark-brown, light-dotted, often with a more or less distinct light streak from ear to groin ; lower surfaces greenish or greyish, uniform or with darker dots. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 11 Total length 133 mm. Head 11 „ Width of head 8 „ Body 42 „ Fore-hmb 14 ,, Hind-lunb 19 „ Tail 80 „ " — Boulenger. Habits. — Usually found moving about in open scrub country. Food, insects and worms. Distribution.— Victoria.: Port Albert (Melb. Mus.); Melbourne, Croajingolong (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, Loyalty Islands, New Hebrides. LiOLEPiSMA GUiCHENOTi, Dum. and Bibr. Mocoa guichenoti, Gray, Cat., p. 80. Mocoa trilineata, part.. Gray, I.e., p. 81. Lygosoma guichenoti., Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 713. (Mocoa) guttulatuni, Peters, Sitzb. Ges. ISTaturf. Freunde, 1881, p. 83. ( ) platytiotuin, Peters, I.e., p. 84. Description. — " The distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and one-third to once and two- thirds in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal, which is quite lateral ; no supra- nasal ; frontonasal forming a broad suture with the rostral, the width of which suture equals the width of the frontal, and a narrower one with the frontal ; latter shield narrower and not longer than the frontoparietal, in contact with the two anterior supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; seven or eight supraciliaries ; frontoparietal single ; a small interparietal, behind which the parietals form a suture ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; fifth upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening oval, about as large as the transparent palpebral disk, without projecting lobules. Twenty- six to thirty scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest and sometimes feebly striated. Pr^eanals not or but feebly 78 Proceedi)igs of the Royal Society of Victoria. enlarged. The adpressed limbs overlap, meet, or fail to meet. Digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamellje smooth, twenty to twenty- six under the fourth toe. Tail about once and two-thirds the length of head and body. Colour. — Bronzy-olive or brownish above, with or without small darker and lighter spots ; vertebral region sometimes darker ; a dark-brown lateral band, edged above and below by a light streak ; greenish-white inferiorly sometimes with blackish dots. Total length 97 mm. Head 9 „ Width of head . . . 6 „ Body 31 „ Fore-limb 11 „ Hind-limb 15 „ Tail 57 „ •Boulenger. Habits. — Usually found running about amongst the grass and herbage on dry sandy ground and stony hill sides. Soon becomes tame in captivity and will feed readily on flies, caterpillars, worms, bits of bread and potato. Mode of reproduction. — Oviparous ; eggs oval, three, laid in the ground. Distribution. — Victoria : Melbourne, Ringwood, Upper Yarra, Mitta Mitta (Melb. Mus.) ; Kew, Ringwood, Carrum, Loch, Myrniong, Healesville, Beaconsfield, Fei'ntree Gully, Grampians (L. and F.) Range outside Victoria. — New South Wales, South Australia, West Australia. LiOLEPiSMA PRETIOSUM, O'Shaughn. Mocoa preiiosa., O'Shaughn., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (4), xiii., 1874, p. 298. viicrolepidota., O'Shaughn., I.e., p. 299. Description. — "The distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and two-fifths in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 79 suture with the rostral and with the frontal ; latter shield a little shorter than frontoparietal and interparietal together, in contact with the two anterior supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; seven or eight supraciliaries ; frontoparietal single ; a small interparietal, behind which the parietals form a suture ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; tifth upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening oval, larger than the transparent palpebral disk. Thirty-four to thirty-eight scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest, striated or feebly pluricarinate, pr^eanals not enlarged. The adpressed limbs meet or overlap. Digits cylindrical ; subdigital lamellfe smooth, twenty to twenty-two under the fourth toe. Tail a little longer than head and body." Colour. — Olive-brown above with small darker and lighter spots, a blackish light dotted lateral band extending from the eye to the groin, often edged above with pale-brown ; a blackish vertebral streak may be present ; lower surfaces greenish or greyish-salmon, lips and throat black dotted. Total length 119 mm. Head 11 Width of head 8 Body 43 Fore-limb 16 Hind-limb 22 Tail 65 Habits. — Met with under logs and stones in moist and thickly timbered country and dense gullies. Mode of reproduction. — Young developed within the body of the parent ; three brought forth in January or February. Distribution. — Victoria : Upper Yarra, Mount Baw Baw, South Gippsland. Range outside Victoria. — Tasmania, Kent Group. LlOLEPISxMA TETRADACTYLUM, O'Shaughn. Mocoa tetrndactyla, O'Shaughn., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (5), iv., 1879, p. 300. Description. — "The distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained once and one-third in the distance 80 Proceedings of the Royal Society 0/ Victoria. between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, broadly in contact with the rostral, praef rontals, inner angles touching ; frontal much shorter and narrower than the frontoparietal, in contact with the first and second supraoculars; four supraoculars; seven supraciliaries ; frontoparietal single, followed by a minute interparietal ; parietals forming a median suture ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; four labials anterior to the subocular. Ear-opening oval, smaller than the transparent palpebral disk, with a short obtuse lobule anteriorly. Thirty-four scales round the middle of the body, all perfectly smooth ; doi'sals largest, laterals smallest. Prfeanal scales not enlarged. The hind-limb reaches the wrist. Fingers four, toes five ; subdigital lamellae smooth, twenty under the fourth toe. Tail a little longer than head and body." d^/c'/zr. — Olive-brown above, head with a few black specks ; five interrupted black lines along the middle of the back, the median extending all along the tail, each alternate scale along the line being streaked with the pale ground colour, the black lines on the back often merged into a single broad band, within the area of which, alternate scales are streaked with the pale ground colour ; a dorso-lateral series of black dots, separated from the median dorsal lines by a band of pale' ground colour ; sides immaculate, with two bright rosy- carmine (dull yellow in spirit specimens) stripes, the lower of which extends from axilla to groin, lower surfaces greenish. Total length ... ... 117 mm. Head 14 Width of head 10 Body 41 Fore-limb 16 Hind-limb 22 Tail 62 Habits. — This elegant little lizard is found amongst the grass and herbage on the dry, open plains near the Murray. Food consists of insects, chiefly locusts and grasshoppers. Distribution. — Victoria : Brown's Plains, Barnawartha. Range outside Victoria. — New South Wales, Queensland. The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 81 Lygosoma. Sub-genus Emoa, Gray. Limbs well developed, pentadactyle, overlapping when adpressed. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Supranasals present. Emoa spenceri, sp. nov. (Plate 2, fig. 1, la.) Description. — Head and body slightly depressed. Limbs well developed, pentadactyle. The distance between the end of the snout and the fore limb is contained once and one-third in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout obtusely pointed. Eai'-opening about midway between the end of the snout and the fore-limb ; eye about midway between the ear-opening and the tip of the snout. Lower eyelid with a very large transparent disk, nearly as large as the eye. Nostril pierced in a small nasal. Supranasals narrow, widely separated by the frontonasal ; a naiTOW postnasal often fused with the supranasal ; frontonasal much broader than long, forming a suture with the rostral and with the frontal ; prpefrontals well developed ; frontal slightly longer than the frontoparietals, in contact with the first and second supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second much the largest ; seven supraciliaries ; frontoparietals and interparietal distinct ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; seventh upper labial largest and entering the orbit. Ear-opening oval, oblique, smaller than the transparent palpebral disk, with three or four small lobules anteriorly. Eorty-two to forty-four smooth scales round the middle of the body, dorsals largest, especially the two vertebral series, laterals smallest. A marginal row of slightly enlarged prteanals. The adpressed limbs slightly over- lap. Digits moderate, slightly compressed ; subdigital lamella^ smooth, about twenty-two under the fourth toe. Tail slightly longer than head and body. Colour. — Dark-brown above with pale greenish-white markings of which the most constant is a dorso- lateral band commencing above the eye and lost on the tail ; usually with regular longitudinal series of light spots ; sides blackish-brown light dotted, a narrow longitudinal line of the G 82 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. above pale colour extending from the ear above the fore-limb to the L'roin. Lower surfaces bluish-jireen. Total length 104 mm Head 10 „ Width of head ... 7 ,, Body 39 „ Fore-limb 13 „ Hnid-limb 18 „ Tail 55 „ Distribution — Victoria : Brandy Creek, Dandenong Ranges (Melb. Mus.) ; Dimboola, Gisborne, Croajingolong (L. and F.). We have named this elegant little lizard after Prof. W, B. Spencer, M.A., Professor of Biology at the Melbourne Univer- sity, to whom we are indebted for assistance in many ways during the preparation of this work. Lygosoma. Sub-genus Hemiergis, Wagl. Limbs very short, with less than five digits. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Ear covered with scales. No supranasals, prtefrontals well developed. Frontal not broader than the supraocular region. Hemiergis peronii, Fitz. Tetradactylus decresie?isis, Gray, Cat., p. 86. Seps peronii, Fitzing, N. Class, Kept., p. 53 ; Gray, Griff. A.K., ix., Syn., p. 72. Tetradactylus decresiensis, Cuv., R.A., 2nd ed., ii., p. G4 ; Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 764; Gray, Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept., pi. vi., fig. 4 (and details of head, fig. 1). Hemiergis decresiensis, part., Steind, Novara, Rept., p. 50. Description. — '= Body much elongate ; limbs very weak, tetra- dactyle ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore- limb is contained twice to twice and two-thirds in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided trans-parent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal; Tlie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 83 no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a narrow suture with tlie rostral and with the frontal ; latter shield scarcely longer than the interparietal ; in contact with the first and second supraoculars; four supraoculars, second largest; seven or eight supraciliaries ; frontoparietals distinct, nearly as long as the interparietal ; parietals forming a suture behind the inter- parietal ; two or three pairs of nuchals ; fifth upper labial below the centre of the eye, from which it is separated by a series of suboculars. Ear covered with scales, indicated by a depression. Eighteen or twenty smooth scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest. A pair of enlarged pneanals. The length of the hind-limb equals the distance between the centre of the eye and the fore-limb ; third toe longest. Tail thick, once and a half to once and two-thirds the length of head and body. Colour. — Pale- brown or golden above, with or without minute brown dots ; a black dorso-lateral line ; sides grey, speckled with black ; lower surfaces whitish, black spotted. Total length Head 152 mm 9 „ Width of head ... 6-5 „ Body Fore-limb 48 „ 7- „ Hind-limb 13 „ Tail 95 „ -Boulenger. Habits. — Found under logs and flat stones on the hillsides and in gullies. Movements very slow. Distribution. — Victoria: Dandenong Ranges (Melb. Mus.). Range outside Victoria. — Kangaroo Island, Albany. Hemiergis decresiensis. Gray. Hemiergis decresiensis. Gray, Cat., pp. 87 and 272. Zygnis decresiensis, Fitzing, N. Class, Rept., p. 53. Tridactylus decresiensis, Cuv. R.A., 2nd. ed., 64 ; Gray, Griff. A.K., ix., Syn., p. 72. Hemiergis decresiensis, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 766 ; Gray, Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept., pi. vi., tig. 5, decresiensis, part., Steind, No vara, Rept., p. 50. g2 84 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Hemiergis polylepis, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (3), xx., 1867, p. 48. Description. — "Body much elongate; limbs very weak, tridac- tyle ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained twice and one-fourth to twice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal broader than long, forming a narrow suture with the rostral and with the frontal ; latter shield not longer than the interparietal ; in contact with the first and second supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; seven or eight supraciliaries ; frontoparietals distinct, nearly as long as the interparietal; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal; no enlarged nuchals ; fifth upper labial below the centre of the eye, from which it is separated by a series of subocylars. Ear covered with scales, indicated by a depression. Twenty-four smooth scales round the middle of the body, subequal. A pair of enlarged pri3eanals. The length of the hind-limb equals the distance between the centre of the eye and the fore-limb ; second toe slightly longer than the third. Colour. — Pale-brown above, four longitudinal series of black dots, sometimes confluent into lines, on the back ; a black dorso-lateral line ; sides grey, black dotted ; lower surfaces yellowish, throat and tail black spotted." — Boulenger. Total length 102 mm. Head 8 „ Width of head 5 „ Body 39 „ Fore-limb ... ... 6-5,, Hind-limb 10 „ Tail 55 „ Habits. — Similar to former species. Distribution. — Victoria : Ferntree Gully, Beechworth. Range outside Victoria. — South Australia, Kangaroo Island. Lygosoma. Sub-genus Siaphos, Gray. Limbs more or less developed. Lower eyelid scaly, or with a transparent disk. Ear covered with scales or very minute. TJie Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 85 No supranasals. Prsef rentals (in species with short limbs) minute or absent. Frontal not broader than the supraocular region. SlAPHOS MACCOYI, Sp. nOV. (Plate 2, fig. 2. 2a.) Description. — Body much elongate, limbs weak, pentadactyle ; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained about three times in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout short, obtusely pointed. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; no supranasal ; frontonasal very broad, forming a broad straight suture with the rostral, and a curved one with the frontal ; prse- frontals absent ; frontal not longer than the frontoparietals, in contact with the first and second supraoculars ; five supraoculars, second largest ; seven supraciliaries ; frontoparietals and inter- parietal distinct ; parietals forming a suture behind the inter- parietal ; a pair of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; fourth upper labial below the centre of the eye. Ear opening distinct, minute. Twenty smooth scales round the middle of the body. Prteanals not enlarged. The length of the hind- limb scarcely equals the distance between the centre of the eye and the fore-limb. Fourth toe not longer than the third, with six or seven smooth lamellae inferiorly. Colour. — Brown or greyish-brown above, each dorsal scale with three or four minute dark longitudinal lines ; a more or less distinct black dorso- lateral line extending from the eye to the base of the tail ; ground colour of lateral scales brownish, or greyish, sometimes nearly white, each with irregular minute darker streaks ; throat ivory-white spotted with brown j^belly bright-yellow immaculate ; under surface of tail bright-yellow, more or less covered -with blackish-brown blotches. Total length Head 139 mm 8 „ Width of head ... Body Fore-limb 4-5 „ ... 48 „ 6 „ Hind-limb 9 „ Tail 83 „ 86 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. Habits. — Usually met with under logs and flat stones in moist places. Movements very slow. Mode of reproduction. — Young developed within the body of the parent, eight or nine being brought forth in January or February. Distribution. — Victoria : Brandy Creek, Trafalgar, Waterloo, Lakes Entrance, Ferntree Gully, Fernshaw, Dandenong Ranges, Goulburn Valley (Melb. Mus.) ; Ringwood, Dandenong Ranges, Berwick, Plenty Ranges, Upper Yarra, Croajingolong, North and South Gippsland (L. and F.). We have named this graceful little lizard after Sir Frederick McCoy, K.C.M.G., &c., through whose kindness and courtesy we have been able to examine a large number of specimens preserved in the National Museum of Victoria. Lygosoma. Sub-getius Rhodona, Gray. Limbs short or rudimentary. Lower eyelid with a trans- parent disk. Ear distinct, minute. No supranasals. Prfefrontals very small and widely separated, or absent. Frontal not broader than the supraocular region. Rhodona bougainvillii. Gray. Lygosoma l>ougainvillii, Gray, Cat., p. 85. Riopa bougainvillii, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N.H., ii., 1839, p. 332. Lygosoma bougainvillii., Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 716; Giinth., Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept., p. 43. laterale, (non Say), Giinth., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (3), XX., 1867, p. 46. Description. — "Body much elongate, limbs weak; the distance between the end of the snout and the fore-limb is contained twice to twice and a half in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout moderate, obtusely conical. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in a rather large nasal, which is in contact with its fellow, frontonasal large, broadly in contact with the rostral ; praefrontals small, and The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 87 widely separated ; frontal broader than the supraocular region, longer than the frontoparietals and interparietal together ; in contact with the tii'st and second supraoculars ; four supraoculars, second largest ; fourth very small ; six supraciliaries ; fronto- parietals and interparietal distinct, sub-equal ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; two or four pairs of nuchals ; fifth upper labial entering the orbit. Ear-opening minute, not or scarcely larger than the nostril. Twenty-two or twenty-four smooth scales round the middle of the body ; dorsals largest. A pair of large prteanals. The length of the hind-limb equals the distance between the nostril and the fore-limb ; toes slender, slightly compressed, fourth much longer than third ; subdigital lamellae feebly keeled, fifteen to eighteen under the fourth toe. Tail slightly longer than head and body. Colour. — Greyish above, with blackish dots or short lines along the series of scales ; a black lateral band, passing through the eye ; flanks white, black dotted ; lower surfaces white. Total length 135 mm. Hfad 9 „ Width of head ... 6 „ Body 54 „ Fore-limb 8 „ Hind-limb 14 „ Tail 72 „ ' ' — Boulenger. Habits, — Met with under logs and stones in moist places, where they frequently make excavations in the ground. Movements slow. Distribution. — Victoria : Melbourne, Keilor, Pyramid Hill, Western District (Melb. Mus.); Carrum, Bacchus Marsh, Castle- maine, Grampians, Beech worth, Mt. Stanley (L. and F.). Range outside Victoria. — South Australia, Kangaroo Island. Rhodona punctatovittata, Gunth. Rhodona punctatovittata, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. N.H. (3), XX., 1867, p. 47. officeri, McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., dec. vi., pi. li. Description. — " Body much elongate ; limbs very weak, anterior monodactyle, posterior didactyle ; the distance between the end 88 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. of the snout and the fore-limb is contained more than three times in the distance between axilla and groin. Snout subcuneiform, with slightly projecting labial edge. Eye very small. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril pierced in a large swollen nasal, which forms a suture with its fellow ; fronto- nasal much broader than long, forming a broad suture with the frontal ; prsefrontals small and widely separated ; frontal much broader than the supraocular region, in contact with the first and second supraoculars and with the interparietal ; supraoculars three, small, second largest ; six supraciliaries ; frontoparietals small, much smaller than the interparietal ; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal ; four pairs of nuchals ; fourth upper labial entering the orbit. Ear-opening scarcely distinguish- able. Eighteen smooth scales round the middle of the body, dorsals largest, ventrals smallest. A pair of enlarged prseanals. Fore-limb nearly as long as the snout ; hind-limb as long as the distance between the ear and the fore-limb ; second toe more than twice as long as first." Colour. — Rich brown above, each scale with a black spot, the spots forming six or eight longitu- dinal rows ; head-shields black-edged ; lower surfaces pale yellow-ochre. Total length 169 mm. Head 10 „ Width of head ... ... 6-5 „ Body 75 „ Fore-limb 3-5 „ Hind-limb 10 „ Tail 84 „ Habits.— YoViwd in loose sandy soil, into which it burrows. Distribution. — Victoria : Swan Hill. Range outside Victoria. — Queensland. Ablepharus, Fitzing. Palatine and pterygoid bones in contact mesially, the palatal notch not extending forwards to between the centre of the eye ; pterygoids toothless. Maxillary teeth conical. No movable eyelids, a transparent disk covering the eye. Ear distinct or The Lizards indigenous to Victoria. 89 hidden. Nostril pierced in the nasal ; supranasal present or absent. Limbs more or less developed. The genus extends over south-eastern Europe, south-western Asia, Tropical and South Africa, and Australia. Ablepharus boutonii, Desj. Cryptoblepharus boutonii., Gray, Cat., p. 64. Scincus boutonii, Desjard, Ann. So. Nat., xxii., 1831, p. 298. Ablepharus kschenaulii, Cocteau, Mag.de Zool., 1832, Rept., pi. i. Ablepharus pacilopieurus, "Weigm., N. Acta Ac. Leop.-Carol, xvii., 1835, i., p. 202, pi. viii., fig. 1 ; Giintli, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1874, p. 296. Cryptoblepharus peronii, Cocteau, Et. Seine, p. 1. leschefiaultii, Coct., I.e. Cryptoblepharus poeciiopleurus. Gray, Ann. N. H., ii., 1839, p. 335, and Zool. Ereb. and Terr. Rept., pi. v., tig. 2. Tiliqua buchanatd. Gray, Ann. N. H., ii., p. 291. Ablepharus perojiii, Dum. and Bibr., v., p. 813 ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1854, p. 619 ; Bavay, Cat., Rept., N. Caled., p. 31. Cryptoblepharus eximius, Girard, Proc. Ac. Philad., 1857, p. 195, and U. S. Explor. Exped., Herp., p. 222, pi. xxvi., figs. 25-32. plagiocephalus, Girard, U. S. Explor. Exped., Herp., p. 220, pi. xxvi., figs. 17-24. (?) Ablepharus fiigroputictatus, Hallow., Proc. Ac. Philad., 1860, p. 487. Ablepharus boutonii, Strauch, M^l. Biol. Acad., St. Petersb., vi., 1869, p. 566, and Bull, xii., p. 368; Giinth, I.e.; Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus., Genova, xiii., 1878, p. 339 ; Peters, Reise, n. Mossamb., iii., p. 77. qidfiquetceniatus, Giinth, I.e. Ablepharus rudlus, Peters, Sitzb., Ges. Nat. Freunde, 1879, p. 37. (Cryptoblepharus ) boutond, Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Mex., Rept., p. 463, pi. xxii., H., fig. 1. >^ \ "p'TT^ ( ) leschenaultii, Bocourt, I.e. /\.^-^i^^~'T