ACANTHODACTYLUS VULGARIS. 195 



Acanthodactylus vulgaris. 



Acanthodactylus vulgaris, Dum. et Bib. vol. v, p. 2(58. 

 Acanthodactylus hoskianus, Buon. Faun. Ital. (figured). 

 Lacerta vclox, Sciiinz, Europ. Faun. vol. ii. p. 23. 



Description. — The two palpebral plates form a suboval 

 disk furnished A^dth granular plates on the outside, behind, 

 and in front ; naso-frenal, and first upper labial, flat ; the 

 lower margin of the subocular plate forming a very open 

 angle, locked between the two last uj^per labials ; lower 

 eyelid scaly, granular. The collar consists of from nine to 

 eleven scales, of which that in the middle is more dilated 

 than the rest ; the scales in the first row on the breast 

 are oblong, quadrilateral, the others lozenge-shaped ; ven- 

 tral plates in ten rows, those of the two outer on each 

 side very small, and distinctly rhomboid, in the other 

 rows large, wide, and less distinctly rhomboid; the toes 

 are but slightly toothed on their sides, but their plates 

 beneath are strongly and doubly keeled ; the scales of the 

 back are small, equal, angular ; the plate under the chin 

 is much developed, and is followed by five pairs of plates, 

 which are parallel up to the third pair, and afterwards 

 divergent in the shape of a Y ; the upper part of the 

 temple is clothed with very fine circular granules ; the an- 

 terior margin of the ear is gi^anulated ; the upper part of 

 the head and of the tail is a more or less bright brown, 

 all the other upper parts of the body being either black or 

 very dark brown ; the paws are spotted with white ; along 

 each side of the neck, and along the flanks are four white 

 streaks, one of which is interrupted by the shoulder ; 

 another streak of the same colour runs along the middle of 

 the neck ; all the lower parts white, but the tail and hinder 

 part of the thighs are often tinged with rose-red : some- 

 times the white streaks are much interrupted, so as to 



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