The Taprobanian (2.1887)

56

THE TAPROBANIAN.

[April, 1887.

present, indicating those believed to exist also in
Ceylon, though I have not now specimens of
them for identification.
E. Rufescens, Shaw (Gthr.).—This species is
abundant, and diverges into several local races,
unless on investigation they prove to be allied
species, wrongly confused with the type form.
The typical race is especially abundant in the
hills of Ceylon, and Kelaart describes other
specimens collected at Trincomalai, which had
red spots on the sides, as have specimens from
Siam noticed by Dr. Gunther.1 At Colombo,
and also as high up as Punduloya in the central
range of hills, Gunther’s variety C is very
common, with dark brown sides, scarcely
spotted or quite unspotted. Kelaart has already
recorded a tendency in Badulla specimens to
develop blue spots on the sides, as in the third
Malay race under Giinther’s variety D; and
another form, if not an allied species, is found
on dry grass plains in Bintenna, but requires
critical examination.
Collectors may recognise the young of this
species by the three keels of the scales, since E.
olivaceus, which has three to four keels, has not
been detected in Ceylon. The very dark small
race, which Mr. Ferguson mistook for E. oliva-
ceus, and which was found in Pasdun Korle,
S.-W. Ceylon, proves to be E brevis, and not E.
rufescens,2 as decided by Gunther in error. I
have myself examined the specimen . in the
Colombo Museum, one of Ferguson’s types, and
find it agree with E. brevis in every specific
detail, so that the example examined by Giinther
was not accidentally exchanged in the collection
sent to him,
Euprepes Brevis, Gthr.
This species, as already noticed, was found
at Hewesse by Mr. Ferguson, and Mr. E. E.
Green has captured a larger specimen at Udu-
gama, which enables me to figure the feet. The
toes are singularly shaped, when compared
(Plate 1, fig. 4a, 4b) with those of Euprepesrufe-
scens (Plate 1, fig. 5a, 5b), and evidently denote
a more arboreal habit, already noticed by Fergu-
son. The tricarination of the dorsal scales of
my Udugama specimen is very strong, resem-
bling that of E. rudis. I have figured the feet,
magnified ; those of E. rufescens are drawn from
an adult caught at Kandy, with 5-striate dorsal
scales, and of the natural size.
1 Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 79.
2 Ferguson, Rept. Faun, of Ceyl., p. 10.

Euprepes Halianus, n. sp.
Plate 1, figure 1, 2, 3.
This beautiful and distinct skink has long been
in the Colombo Museum, and the director, Mr.
Haly, has kindly drawn up for me the following
diagnosis; as I have had the specimens figured
for this journal, I cannot agree with him that it
is better to leave them unnamed, in case they
are already described, and the description over-
looked by us. Unless his description and my
figures be named, they cannot be registered for
reference. It is only known from the hot and
dry districts of Ceylon, as yet.
Mr. Haly’s diagnosis is as follows :—
On a probably new species of Euprepes.
Some years ago a specimen of a skink
(Euprepes) from Henaratgoda was presented by
Mrs. Horsford, and since that a young one of the
same species from Anuradhapura has been pre-
sented. Nothing like this species is described
in Giinther’s Reptiles of British India, and as it
is exceedingly rare, it is probably as yet unde-
scribed.
Synopsis.—A pair of supranasal shields ; the
whole of the lower eyelid scaly ; opening of the
ear very small; each scale with four keels.
Description.—Adult, a pair of very narrow
supranasal shields ; the single prae-frontal touches
both rostral and vertical. The fifth upper labial
is below the eye, a little longer than high. Ear
opening small, with no lobules. Lower eyelid
scaly. Scales with four very weak keels ante-
riorly, becoming strong posteriorly, reduced to
three on the tail, in thirty or thirty-one longitu-
dinal series between the limbs, and twenty-four
transverse series. Preanal scales not enlaro-ed :
sub-caudals rather larger than the others. Limbs
of moderate strength. Third hind-toe nearly as
long as the fourth.
White back with ten black bands, one on the
nape, one between the fore limbs; three on the
back, one between the hind limbs, and four on
the tail with remains of a fifth. Black bands run
from the nostril through the eyes, which are
connected by a band across the occiput; this
band throws forward a band each side of the
vertical.
Young1—In the young the suture of the rostral
and prae-frontal is much broader. The prolonga-,
tions of the occipital band meet in a point in
the prae-frontal, and are almost united in the
1 Plate 1, fig. 2.