106 SAURIA. 



to six distant, undulated, black dotted lines cross the back, others the tail and the limbs. On 

 each elbow a whitish ring. All the light markings disappear in preserved specimens ; and 

 the whole of the ground-colour is a reddish brown. 



This very handsome Gecko attains to a length of 7 inches, of which the tail takes one-half. 

 It is found chiefly in Java and in a few other islands of the East Indian Archipelago. Pinang, 

 Singapore, and the Island of Ramree appear to be the only places where it has hitherto been 

 found in British India. The expansions of the skin have the same purpose as the wings of 

 the Dragons and of the Flying Squirrels ; in leaping, these membranes are expanded by the 

 pressure of the air from below, and act as a parachute. When the Gecko is at rest, they are 

 kept in close contact with the body by muscles attached to their inferior surface. Cantor 

 kept a pair of these lizards for some time in confinement; he observed that, like other 

 Geckos, they have in some degree the power of changing the ground-colour from a darker 

 to a lighter shade. A female deposited a single egg, of a spherical form, about half an inch 

 in diameter, soft*, and of a yellowish-white colour, which the following day she devoured- 

 A male ate the integuments he had been changing. This lizard also has a rounded mass of 

 calcareous matter on each side of the neck ; it is a very thin layer in most of the specimens, 

 but in others it is considerably enlarged, and visible externally as a globular swelling. 



IIEMIDACTYLUS, Cuv. 



Fingers and toes dilated, ovate, with two series of transverse, imbricate 

 plates beneath ; thnnib and inner toe with the ung-ual phalanx compressed 

 and clawed, tbe claw sometimes being minute ; sides of the trunk without 

 cutaneous appendage ; tail with the lateral edge not serrated. 



Species of Hemidactylus occur in almost every part of the tropical regions ; the following 

 are known from British India : — , 



* Back granular, ivith numerous trihedral tubercles. 



Some of the tubercles are as large as the opening of the ear^ of a white colour . H. triedrus, p, 107. 

 All the tubercles smaller than the opening of the ear ; eight lower labial shields . H. maculatus, p. 107. 

 All the tubercles smaller than the opening of the ear; ten lower labial shields . H. sykesii, p. 108. 



** Back granular, with very small, scattered, conical tubercles. 



Pores running across the prseanal region ; no yellow lateral band H. franatus, p. 108. 



Femoral pores not continued on into the prajanal region ; no yellow lateral band . H. leschenaultii, p. 109. 

 A yellow streak runs from the muzzle to the tail H. punctatus, p. 109. 



*** Back uniform granular, almost without any tubercles : Boltalia^ Gray. 

 Greyish, marbled with darker H. coctm, p. 109. 



* Probably premature. 



