XVI. A SYNOPSIS OF THE SAURIAN GENUS 

 PRIONODACTYLUS. 



By Lawrence Edmonds Griffin. 



Since the genus Prionodactylus was treated by Boulenger in the 

 Catalogue of Lizards in the British Museum ten more species have 

 been discovered, making a total of fifteen which are assigned to the 

 genus. On account of the trebling of the membership of the genus 

 I hope that the following assemblage of the species in the form of a key 

 will serve a useful purpose. 



I. Nostril pierced in the middle of a single or partly divided nasal. 



1. Ventrals in four longitudinal rows. 



Twenty-seven scales around the middle of the body, thirty scales from 

 occiput to base of tail P. quadrilineatus (Bottger) 1876. 



2. Ventrals in six longitudinal rows. 

 a. Prefrontals not forming a suture. 



Twenty ventral series, twenty-nine scales around the middle of the body, 

 thirty-one scales from occiput to base of tail, two anterior and two pos- 

 terior pre-anal scales P. argulus (Peters) 1862. 



aa. Prefrontals forming a suture. 

 b. Posterior chin-shields separated. 

 c. Two anterior pre-anal scales. 



Eighteen to nineteen ventral series, thirtj'-three to thirty-five 

 scales around the middle of the body, thirty-eight to forty 

 scales from occiput to base of tail, two anterior and two pos- 

 terior pre-anal scales P. oshaughnessyi Boulenger, 1885. 



Eighteen to nineteen ventral series, forty-three scales around the 

 middle of the body, thirty-five to thirty-eight scales from 

 occiput to base of tail, two anterior and three posterior pre-anal 



scales P. ynanicatus (O'Shaughnessy) 1881. 



Eighteen ventral series, twenty-nine scales around the middle 

 of the body, thirty-one scales from the occiput to base of tail, 

 two anterior and four posterior pre-anal scales. 



P. eigenmanni Grififin 1917- 

 Seventeen ventral series, twenty-seven scales around the middle 

 of the body, twenty-one scales from occiput to base of tail, 

 two anterior and two posterior pre-anal scales. 



P. albostrigatus Griffin, 191 7. 

 cc. One anterior pre-anal scale. 



Thirty-seven scales from occiput to base of tail, one anterior and 

 three posterior pre-anal scales. .P. champsonolus Werner, 191 0. 

 bb. Posterior chin-shields in contact. 



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