No. 6. On grassy hilltop a few yards from ledge under flat rock, 9 × 6 × 2 inches.

July 23, 1951. Large female (snout-vent length 75 mm.) with three eggs, 16 × 22 mm.

July 27, 1951. Female escaped from nest cavity as rock was raised. Three eggs were still in the nest, and a young skink was partly emerged from one. A second egg not yet hatching was somewhat flaccid, 16 mm. long, heavily coated with dried mud. The third egg much shrivelled, was opened and found to have a dead fetus, perhaps a week short of hatching.

[72]

July 28, 1951. The flat rock which formerly covered the nest cavity was found to have been raised and displaced, and no trace of the female, eggs or young remained. Of possible predators that might have moved the rock and destroyed the nest, skunk and opossum seemed the most likely, but there was no definite clue as to the predator’s identity.

No. 7. Two feet northeast of pond rock pile, under rock about one foot square on upper surface with maximum thickness of about eight inches, lying with upper side at 45-degree angle. The nest was under one edge, with approximately three inches of rock over it. The rock was exposed to sunshine throughout the day, except for grass shading its edges.

July 23, 1951. When rock was turned, the female darted out of the nest cavity, but in her dash to escape she dropped into a nearby pitfall. When handled, she voided feces which contained the nearly intact shell of a skink egg. Six eggs present in the nest; one selected as typical was 111⁄2 × 8 mm. The eggs were slightly misshapen and might have been damaged from drying.

July 26, 1951. When rock was raised, female darted out and escaped. The six eggs still remained in the nest.

August 2, 1951. When rock was raised the female was not in evidence, and only three eggs could be found; they had fallen from the nest cavity to the bottom of the depression where the rock was imbedded and were somewhat dried and indented.

No. 8. North slope, beneath rock approximately 18 × 15 × 4 inches, at edge of small gully, where shaded most of the time including mid-day hours.