AET. 25 CHINESE AMPHIBIANS AND EEPTILES STEJNEGER 47 



EUMECES CHINENSIS (Gray) 



Eumeces chinensis Stejneger, Herp. Japan, 1907, p. 208 (Formosa). — Van 

 Denbuegh, Proc. California Acad. Sci., ser. 4, vol. 3, Dec. 1912, p. 225 

 (Shangliai). — Vogt, Sitz. Ber. Ges. Naturf. Freunde, Berlin, 1914, p. 

 100 (Canton). 



A splendid series from the province of Fiikien has been sent in by 

 Mr, Sowerby, making it possible to study the variation of this 

 species which has been considered less common than the other Chin- 

 ese skinks. There are 25 specimens (Nos. 65343-67) from near 

 Yenpingfu, three (Nos. 65372-4) from Futsing District, and two 

 (Nos. 66438-9) from Foochow. 



The constancy of certain characters, usually relied upon in diag- 

 nosing the species of this genus, is quite surprising. Of the thirty 

 specimens all have two unpaired postmentals; one only (No. 65356) 

 has a postnasal, which is quite small, but distinct and symmetrical 

 on both sides, and one (No. 66438) has a very small one on one side; 

 seven have 26 scale rows around the middle of the body, all the 

 others have 24; the average number of dorsal scales on the middle 

 line between the second nuchal and a line from groin to groin,*^ is 

 45, minimum 43, maximum 47; number of scales under fourth toe 

 averages 16.4, minimum 15, maximum 17. The nuchals show the 

 greatest variation, though only two specimens have only one pair; 

 five have 2 on one side and 1 on the other ; four have 3 on one side 

 and 2 on the other ; seventeen have 2 on each side, so that two pairs 

 must bfe considered normal. This is also indicated by the fact that 

 twenty-seven of the thirty have two at least on one side. In one 

 specimen (No. 66439) one nuchal in the first row and one in the 

 second row are broken up. 



All these specimens are adults, uniform brownish gray with a 

 more yellowish head and reddish spots on sides of neck and flanks, 

 except one (No. 65366) which is much younger, 61 mm. from tip 

 of snout to vent ; the ground color of this one is also brownish gray, 

 but very much darker than the adults; in the center of each dorsal 

 scale there is a dusky line, forming with the others six longitudinal 

 equidistant stripes down the back; the space between the two outer 

 stripes and the two central ones is slightly paler than between the 

 others, indicating the yellow stripes of the very young; no definite 

 pattern on the head. A somewhat older one (No. 66439), 81 mm. 

 from snout to vent, is colored essentially as the adults, but the head 

 is yet quite narrow. A specimen from Shanghai (No. 31720 shows 

 no essential difference from the Fukien specimens. It is included in 

 the table following. 



" I have preferred this line to thQ one back of tlie femurs as more easilj* recognized 

 and consequently more likely to be accurately established. 



