// extract count from buffer that has cycled back to me

  // nspecial[i][1] = # of 1-3 neighbors of atom i

<  j = 0;

  j = 0;

  for (i = 0; i < nlocal; i++) {

    nspecial[i][1] = buf[j];

    j += 2 + nspecial[i][0];