HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 187 



longest toe without claw, longer than distance from tip of snout to 

 inner angle of elbow; tail slightly compressed, swollen at base, cov- 

 ered above and below with imbricate, keeled and pointed scales. 

 Color (in alcohol) above brownish, with a broad irregular, black- 

 edged, pale gray band on each side of back, connected across the 

 back by several indistinct pale chevron bands pointing backward, 

 these chevrons occupying corresponding series of enlarged scales; 

 head with numerous black spots, which on temples and under eye 

 form interrupted lines radiating from the latter; throat and chest 

 dark slate gray, the former with large, rounded, white spots; rest of 

 underside pale gray; tail with alternating broad bands of pale gray 

 and dark brown. 



Di.mensio7is. 



mm. 



Total length 236 



Snout to vent .- . 70 



Vent to tip of tail 166 



Snout to center of eye 12 



Greatest width of head 15.5 



Fore leg 35 



Hind leg 62 



The females differ chiefly in lacking the basal swelling of the tail 

 underneath, in the less development of the nuchal and dorsal crests, 

 and in having the throat brown with white spots instead of dark slate 

 gray. 



The young have the throat uniform whitish or with faint gray 

 marblings. 



Variation. — The variation in the size and relative position of the 

 head scales is considerable but has no immediate significance in so 

 far as the identification of the species is concerned. The extent of 

 individual variation of proportions and coloration has been alluded 

 to above under the general discussion of the related forms (p. 183). 



Habitat. — This species, which is restricted to the main island of 

 Formosa, was first discovered at Tamsiii by Robert Swinhoe, whose 

 name it bears. It has since been obtained by most collectors in various 

 parts of the island, and judging from the large number received by 

 Mr. Owston it does not seem to be rare even in the northern part as 

 formerly supposed. It is replaced by closely allied forms in the adja- 

 cent islands, thus by J. pohjgonata in the Riu Kius and J. mitsukurii 

 in Botel Tobago. 



On the Chinese mainland there is a nearly related species, Japalura 

 yunnanensis, which occurs from western Yunnan to Ichang, on the 

 Yangtse Kiang, and north into the province of Shen-si, whence we 

 have a specimen from the Chin-ling Mountains collected by Dr. E. 

 Blackwelder (U.S.N.M. No. 35524). 



