HEMIDACTYLUS. 87 



times keeled, scales, posteriorly with minute granules intermixed 

 with round tubercles. Eostral subtetragonal, not twice as broad as 

 deep, with median cleft above ; nostril pierced between the rostral, 

 the first labial, and three or four nasals ; 8 to 10 upper and 7 to 

 9 lower labials ; mental large, triangular or pentagonal, twice as 

 long as the adjacent labials ; chin-shields generally four, the inner 

 largest, in contact behind the mental. Upper surfaces with minute 

 granular scales intermixed with moderate-sized trihedral strongly 

 keeled tubercles, the largest not measuring more than one third 

 the diameter of the eye ; they form 16 to 20 pretty regular longi- 

 tudinal series on the back. Abdominal scales smooth, roundish, 

 imbricate. Males with a series of femoral pores generally inter- 

 rupted in the middle ; altogether 16 to 24 pores. Tail rounded, 

 tapering, depressed ; above with small smooth scales and 6 or 8 

 longitudinal series of large, pointed, strongly keeled tubercles ; 

 below with a median series of transversely dilated plates. Brownish 

 above, spotted with darker ; a dark streak on the side of the head, 

 passing through the eye ; lower surfaces dirty white. 



From snout to vent 2-3 inches ; tail 2-25. 



Hob. India, Ceylon, Burma, South China. The commonest 

 house-gecko in India. 



87. Hemidactylus turcicus. 



Lacerta turcica, Linn. Syst. Nut. i, p. 362. 



Hemidactylus karachien sis, Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 361, pi. , fig. 2. 



Hemidactylus turcicus, Boulenfl. Cat. Liz. i, p. 126. 



Snout rounded, about as long as the distance between the eye 

 and the ear-opening, li, to lj the diameter of the orbit ; forehead 

 slightly concave; ear-opening oval, oblique, not quite half the 

 diameter of the eye. Body and limbs moderate. Digits rather 

 variable in length, the inner always well developed ; 6 to 8 lamellae 

 under the inner digits, 8 to 10 under the fourth finger, and 9 to 

 11 under the fourth toe. Head anteriorly with large granules, 

 posteriorly with minute granules intermixed with round tubercles. 

 Eostral four-sided, not twice as broad as deep, with median cleft 

 above; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first labial, and 

 three nasals; 7 to 10 upper and 6 to 8 lower labials; mental 

 large, triangular, at least twice as long as the adjacent labials, its 

 point between two large chin-shields, which may be in contact 

 behind it ; a smaller chin-shield on each side of the larger pair. 

 Upper surface of body covered with minute granules intermixed 

 with large tubercles ; these are generally larger than the inter- 

 spaces between them, suboval, trihedral, and arranged in 14 or 16 

 pretty regular longitudinal series. Abdominal scales small, smooth, 

 roundish-hexagonal, imbricate. Males with a short angular series 

 of 4 to 10 (exceptionally 2) praeanal pores. Tail cylindrical, 

 slightly depressed, tapering, covered above with minute scales and 

 transverse series of large keeled tubercles, beneath with a series of 



