Zoology.] NATUKAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Reptiles. 



Plate 111. 



GRAMMATOPHORA MURICATA (Shaw sp.). 



The Blood-sucker. 



[Genus GRAMMATOPHORA* (Kaup). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order 

 Sauria. Sub-order Fachyglossse. Tribe Strobilosaura. Family Agamidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body moderate, subtrigonal or slightly depressed in section. Head large, 

 trigonal, obtusely pointed in front, depressed ; sides flattened, and separated from tbe top by an 

 angle, covered with small, irregular, unequal, keeled, scale-like plates. Nostrils lateral, under 

 the lateral angle, a little behind tip of snout. Ear-drum large, rounded. Tongue short, flat, 

 narrow, spongy, notched at tip. Teeth : — molars, short, semioval, compressed, on edge of jaw bone, 

 5 incisors in middle, and 2 canines on each side above, 4 incisors below Throat not pouched ; 

 with a strong transverse fold between its base and front of thorax. Scales of back imbricated, 

 unequal. Femoral and preanal pores large, numerous. Tail long, conical, tapering, depressed at 

 base, with keeled, imbricated scales. Toes slender, the 4 first gradually increasing in length, the 

 5th a little shorter than the 2nd ; subdigital scales transversely keeled very strongly. Australia.] 



Description. — Body moderate; head small, nearly an isosceles triangle; a 

 strong- keel from tip of snout over orbit to hind margin of eye ; nostril half way 

 between tip of snout and the anterior angle of eye ; occipital plate scarcely larger 

 than those surrounding it on head and nape ; tail more than twice as long as head 

 and body, slender. One row of small, contiguous, triangular, keeled spines along 

 midline of back, largest near origin at occiput, smallest at termination over base of 

 tail j on each side, at a distance of two ordinary scales, a row of large similar 

 scales, mostly separated by the length of one or two of the small, ordinary body 

 scales, these two lateral rows converging, running close together, where midline 

 ends at base of tail, continued as two approximate, conspicuous, small keels for 

 first fourth of tail, beyond which they are undistinguishable from the rest of the 

 strongly keeled scales of the tail ; a similar outer row of keeled spines extends from 

 half way between midline and shoulder, ending at first fourth of base of tail ; 

 between the 2 lateral rows and outside the outer one are several, irregularly scattered, 

 similar, but slightly smaller, triangular, keeled, spinose scales, very rarely forming a 

 slightly marked, outer, lateral, additional line; ordinary scales of back rhombic, keeled, 

 the keels stronger and forming continuous longitudinal ridges on tail; scales of. 

 belly and throat similar, but more faintly keeled ; a row of keeled spines, like those 

 of back, extends from eyebrow behind eye, over the ear ; a similar, short, ridge-like 

 row under the ear ; and one from each side of occiput extending obliquely backwards 

 and downwards to outer lateral row of body; a few spinose scales on upper side of 

 thigh and front of leg; scales on front of arm and top of head imbricated, strongly 

 keeled. Preanal pores 3 or 4 on each side ; femoral pores 3 or 4 on each side, not 

 reaching half the length of the thigh. Color : Varying from pale brownish ash to 

 dark olive brown above, the space between the inner lateral rows traversed by the 

 keeled serrated midline, usually mottled irregularly with darker; sides irregularly 

 mottled with dark brown on lighter greyish-brown ground; 2 rows of 6 or 7 large, 

 conspicuous, brownish-black, triangular spots run along the back, the base of each 



* I continue the use of Kaup's generic name for these Lizards, instead of Amphibolurus of Wagler adopted hy 

 Boulcuger in his recent important work, because where so many cases of applying one name to two or more genera exist, 

 I do not think Stephens having used this one first for a genus of small moths is likely to produce any serious confusion. 



Vol. II.— Decade XII.— i. ' 47 



