The Lizards zjidigenous to l^ictoria. 33 



Peropus {Dactylopei'us) variegatus, Fitzing, Syst. Rept., p. 103. 

 Peripia torresiana, Giiuther, A.M.KH. (4), xix., 1877, p. 415. 

 Description. — " Head longer than bt'oad ; snout longer than 

 the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, about once and 

 a half the diameter of the orbit ; forehead with a median groove ; 

 ear-opening moderately large, suboval. Body and limbs 

 moderately elongate, depressed, without cutaneous folds. Digits 

 short, free or with a very slight rudiment of web : the inferior 

 lamellai angular, divided by a median groove. Tail depressed, 

 tapering, the sides rounded. Upper surfaces and throat covered 

 with very small granular scales ; abdominal scales moderate. 

 Rostral quadrangular, broader than high, with a median cleft 

 superiorly ; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first labial, 

 and three nasals ; seven to nine upper and six to eight lower 

 labials ; mental moderately large, pentagonal ; chin-shields three 

 pairs, inner largest, elongate, outer small, frequently broken up 

 into small scales ; these shields considerably shorter than in G. 

 mutilata. The upper surface of the tail covered with very small 

 flat scales, the lower surface with a median series of large 

 transversely dilated scales." — Boulenger. 



A short angular series of prseanal pores, ten to sixteen 

 altogether (in the males). 



Colouration of ha If -grown specimen (in spirit). — Greyish-lavender 

 above, browner on the head and limbs, with a pattern formed by 

 darker narrow longitudinal and transverse wavy bands. One of 

 these bands commences at the nostril, passes along the canthus 

 rostralis and over the orbit, then curves inwards towards its fellow 

 at the back of the head ; these bands are darker and more 

 definite on the snout, and are connected by a transverse band 

 just above the nostrils, and by a second commissure less well 

 defined higher up on the snout ; the median surface included 

 between the two curved bands is vermicularly marked and 

 spotted. A second band on either side passes along the. side of 

 the snout below the first, crosses the eye, and continues as a 

 longitudinal dorso-lateral band along the whole length of the 

 trunk, becoming indistinct along the tail. A third much broken 

 band still lower down on the side is indicated by a streak below 

 the orbit, another through the ear-opening, and by a fainter more 

 or less continuous band on the trunk and tail, below and parallel 



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