Zoologt,.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. iBeptiks. 



Plate 151. 



MONITOR GOULDI (Gray). 



Gould's Monitor Lizard. 



[Genus MONITOR (Gray). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order Sauria. 

 Section Squamata. Sub-order Leptoglossa;. Tribe Cyclosaura. FamOy Monitorida;.) 



Gen. Char. — Body fusiform, covered with small, quadrate scales in small, transverse bands 

 on back and belly, tubercular, each on upper surface surrounded with rows of small granules ; 

 one small, transverse fold at base of neck, in front of shoulders ; tail long, tapering, com- 

 pressed, with whorls of small scales, and a double scaly keel above. Head moderate, covered 

 with very small, polygonal plates ; tongue very long, narrow, slender, flattened, deeply forked, 

 with two horny, cylindrical tips at distal end, and lodged in a cylindrical sheath at base ; eyes 

 diurnal, pupil circular, with two valvular eye-lids ; scales over the eye equal ; ear-drums large, 

 with simple edges; legs strong, for walking; toes, five on each foot, elongate, unequal, com- 

 pressed, strong, with large curved claws ; thighs without pores ; no preanal pores ; nostrils about 

 half-way between tip of snout and front edge of eye. Teeth compressed, pointed, distant, 

 smooth, anchylosed to inner edge of jaw-bones by outer surface.] 



Description. — Body elono'ate, ovate, slightly depressed; neck long, cylindrical. 

 Head ovate, flattened and subtriang-ular above; sides in front of eye flattened, 

 vertical, nearly at rig-ht angles with upper surface, tapering with straight sides 

 to narrow rounded muzzle. Nostrils longitudinally triangular, hind edge slightlv 

 nearer to tip of snout than to eye ; plates on eye-lids, sides, and top of head, very 

 small, sub-equal, polygonal, smooth ; vertex plate* rounded, about three times the 

 length of adjacent plates. Tail about one-third longer than the body, moderately 

 compressed laterally ; double keel formed of two rows of triangular scales, commencing 

 nearly at base, greatest height at about one-fourth the length of the tail from the 

 base, each scale a little longer than its vertical, highest posterior end, and having 

 other scales on the sides, gradually passing into the size and shape of the ordinary 

 scales of the sides of the tail. Teeth small, smooth, compressed, the sharp anterior 

 and posterior edges nearly smooth, moderately arched backwards, far apart, about 

 six in upper and about four or five in lower jaw. Scales of upper surface of 

 neck, body, and limbs formed of a convex, longitudinally oval, tubercle in middle, 

 surrounded by several rows of small grantdes ; more elongate, keeled, and triangular 

 on tail, with the rows of granules chiefly towards the distal end; on belly, flat, 

 oblong, a little longer than wide, with about one row of small granules round each. 

 Color: Above, brownish-black, with seventeen or eighteen transverse rows of 

 irregular, rounded or quadrate, pale-yellow spots, about from three to ten scales long, 

 ocellated or with black centres over shoulders and on sides, plain on middle of back, 

 more definite and rounded on upper sides of limbs. About 23 narrow, transverse, 

 yellow bands on tail, from one to three scales wide, the black intervals from five to 

 ten scales wide, terminal fourth of tail plain pale-yellow ; under-side of neck, belly, 

 tail, and limbs pale-yellow, with small, scattered, quadrate, black spots ; throat 

 clouded with pale-blue, without black spots; top of head plain brownish-black; 

 sides of head mottled, yellow and black ; yellow on upper eye-lid extending back- 

 wards as a distinct narrow streak beyond and above the ear; yellow of lower eye-lid 

 extending as a broader, distinct, narrow streak over top of ear nearly to shoulder ; 



* Probably indicating the position of the " Pineal Eye." 

 Vol. it.— Decadb XVI.— 23. [ 195 ] 



