Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. {Reptiles. 



Plate 132, Fig. 1. 



PHYLLURUS MILIUSII (Bory). 

 The Thick-tailed Gecko. 



[Genus PHYLLURUS (Cur.). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order Sauria. 

 Sub-order Pachyglossas. Tribe Nyctisaura. Fam. Geckotidse). 



Gen. Char. — Head trigonal, broad behind ; one small, quadrate chin-plate ; neck narrow ; 

 body moderately broad, moderately depressed ; tail cordate, trigonal, thick, broad, and depressed 

 near base, tapering rapidly to posterior end, which is conical ; base constricted, very narrow. 

 Legs long, slender : toes all with non-retractile claws, elongate, slender, compressed ; sides not 

 serrated ; joints bent at right angles to each other, the base slightly thickened below with 

 distinct transverse plates ; outer hind toe versatile (at right angles to the others). Sides of 

 body with a slightly prominent fold of skin from base of arm to base of thigh. Scales minute, 

 granular, with scattered conical tubercles on upper surface. Xo femoral nor preanal pores. 

 Eyes nocturnal, with linear, erect pupil ; upper eye-lid large, lower one very small.] 



Description. — Head short, thick, flattened, trigonal, wide behind; an oval 

 depression open behind on top of head, bordered by larger granules; space between 

 the eves half the diameter of the orbit ; rostral plate sub-hexagonal, 3 times wider 

 than high; width about equalling 2|- of next labial plates; upper lateral side of 

 rostral bears a small plate, on outer edge of which is the round nostril over first 

 labial ; chin-plate slightly less wide, but deeper, than the rostral ; no plates under 

 the chin, nor behind the nostrils. Under eye-lid very short, not covering cornea ; 

 upper very large, forming two parallel folds round the upper half of eye ; pupil 

 elliptical, vertical. Ear-opening oval. Neck and body narrow. Legs slender; toes 

 slender, nearly cylindrical, arched at the 'end, one row of transverse plates below 

 each ; claws ver} r short. Tail very narrow at base, then suddenly broad, thick, ' 

 cordate, with scattered conical tubercles above; sides rounded and slightly tuber- 

 cular, then tapering quickly and becoming round in section, and tapering to a fine 

 point at posterior end. Scales : Entire surface of head, body, limbs, and tail, above 

 and below, covered with close, extremely minute, rounded granules, with larger 

 conical tubercles scattered on the upper surface ; the larger tubercles on the head 

 blunter and smaller than on the body. Labial plates, \% \; no plate between the 

 nostrils. Color: Upper side of body marron or chestnut-brown, tail darker chocolate, 

 with several narrow white cross bands, 2 or 3 on neck, and 4 or 5 on tail, and trans- 

 verse rows of white spots on back, smaller white spots on upper surface of legs ; under 

 surface of throat, body, legs, and tail plain greyish-white. Measurements : Average 

 total length from tip of snout to end of tail, 5| inches. Proportional measurements 

 (to total length as 100) : Length of head, ^% ; width of head behind, r ^; width of 

 neck, T ^; width of middle of body, T ] „V; length of tail, -f^o ; width of tail at 

 base, yfp ; at middle of dilated portion, -^-fo ; at base of slender posterior half, 

 xjhrj length of dilated portion, ^%%; depth of head, T y v ; diameter of eye, T %%- ; 

 from tip of snout to anterior edge of eye, T 'o°o ; to ear, T %° ff ; to shoulder, -f$% 5 to 

 front of thigh, -^ ; from shoulder to tip of fingers, T 2 S %; length of longest finger, 

 ttio '■> f rom hip to' end of longest toe, ^V; length of longest toe, -fifo. 



Reference. — Bory de Saint-Vincent, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat., v. 7, p. 183, t. 

 not numbered, fig*. 1. 



[121 ] 



