LACERTA TAURICA. 18/ 



from twelve to eighteen on each side ; the scales of the 

 tail are long, narrow, keeled, and arranged in rings. The 

 colouring varies much with the age of the animal. In the 

 young all the imder parts of the body and limbs are whitish 

 green, the upper parts pure green, with twelve or thirteen 

 irregularly transverse black bands, upon which are placed 

 four or five round yellow spots ; on the upper eyelid is a 

 large black spot ; on the flanks are also black bands with 

 blue spots, As the animal grows older the yellow spots 

 become green, and the blue of a deeper shade. In the 

 adult the spots can hardly be distinguished from the 

 green of the back, but the blue spots on the flanks are 

 more distinct than in the yoimg ; the back has become a 

 network of black and green zigzag lines ; the under parts 

 of the body are often bluish green. 



Entire length, 17| inches ; tail, lO-l inches. 



This Lizard is very common in Spain and the South of 

 France. In Italy, Prince Buonaparte limits its range to 

 '' the Eastern Riviera of Liguria." It has been also 

 found in Algeria. 



Lacerta Taurica. 



Lacerta Taurica, Dum. et Bib. vol. v. p. 225 ; Pallas, Zoog. Eoss. As. 

 Lacerta Peloponesiaca, Bibron et Bory, Exped. Scien. Moi'ee. 

 Podarcis Taurica, Buon. Fami. Ital. (figured). 



Description. — In general form less slender than the L, 

 muralis, but more so than the L. stirjnum. The length of 

 the head measures one- fourth of the distance from the tip 

 of the nose to the root of the tail ; the fore-legs reach to 

 the anterior border of the eye ; the hind-legs do not ex- 

 tend to the shoulders ; on the palate are several smaU 

 teeth; the occipital plate is less by one-half than the 

 frontal plate ; there is only one naso-frenal plate ; the 

 temples are clothed with small hexagonal, or subhex- 



