BREVIORA MitaseiLam of Comparative Zoology Cambridge, Mass. 29 May. 1968 Number 291 A NEW SPECIES OF TRIBOLONOTUS (LACERTILIA: SCINCIDAE) FROM BOUGAINVILLE AND BUKA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, WITH COMMENTS ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE GENUS Allen E. Greer and Fred Parker' INTRODUCTION The skinks of the genus Tribolonotus are undoubtedly one of the most bizzare taxa of lizards. Indeed, many of their anatomical fea-tures such as abdominal glands (Parker, 1940). volar pores (Roux, 1930 and 1934; Parker, 1940), and single right functional ovi-duct (discussed below) are as yet unreported in other lizards. Among skinks, these features, as well as their anomalous head and body squamation, make them one of the most easily distinguished groups in an otherwise taxonomically difficult family. In this paper we describe an unnamed species of the genus and discuss various aspects of the ecology, reproductive biology, and behavior of several species. DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF TRIBOLONOTUS During a recent period of residence (1962-1963) on Bougain-ville Island and a subsequent return trip (1966) to the northern Solomons. Parker collected a large number of specimens of a hitherto unnamed species of Tribolonotus on the islands of Bou-gainville and Buka. The new species is very similar in many details of squamation to T. ponceleti Kinghorn, 1937, which occurs on Bougainville and Shortland islands, and may therefore be known as ' Department of District Administration. Kundiawa. Territory of New Guinea,
BioStor
