VI rNTEODUcnoN. 



in reality, such a sacrifice need not be made, as very little skill is 

 required to obtain the necessary information without serious injury 

 to the specimen. Herpetologists have long been in the habit of 

 making an incision in the skin of tlie pelvic region for the purpose 

 of ascertaining whether the dinpophyscs of the sacral vertebra are 

 dilated or not ; a slit made in the same manner along the thorax 

 will show the sternal characters, and another (which can be sewn up 

 again) along the side of the body will suffice for the examination of 

 the structure of the vertebral column. 



Few authors agree as to the terminology of the elements of the 

 sternal apparatus. That given by Prof. AV. K. Parker in his work 

 on the Shoulder-girdle and Sternum has been followed throughout 

 in this Catalogue. 



The coloration is described from spirit-specimens, should even the 

 lii'e-coloration be known. When the size is stated, it is always 

 that of the largest specimen in the British Museum. 



The affixes to the names of donors &c., in the third column of 

 the list of specimens, may be explained as follows : — " [P.] " signifies 

 "Presented by;" "[C.]"=" Collected by;" "[E.]"=" Obtained by 

 exchange." ^Tiere none of these signs are employed, the specimens 

 were purchased. 



G. A. BOrLEXGER. 

 British Museum, 

 Jan. 30, 1882. 



