SPECIFIC CHARACTERS OF BRITISH LIZARDS 91 



numerous ; inter-parietal as long as and broader than 

 the parietals and in contact with a small occipital; a 

 small fronto-parietal between the supra-oculars and 

 the inter-parietal, and a larger shield between the 

 supra-oculars and the parietal ; supra-oculars 5 or 

 6. Ear - opening minute, usually hidden. Scales 

 smooth, median dorsal and ventrals broad, hexagonal ; 

 24 to 28 scales round the middle of the body. 

 Tail at least as long as the body. Young silvery 

 above, with a black vertebral line ; sides and lower 

 surfaces blackish. In the adult these markings often 

 disappear, or may be replaced by a series of dark 

 dots, and the colour of the upper surfaces becomes 

 brown or bronzy. A variety (colchica), in which the 

 ear-opening appears to be normally distinct, is distin- 

 guished by having scattered pale blue spots on the back. 

 "From snout to vent, 195 mm.; tail, 230. 



" Family Lacertid^e. Genus Lacerta. 



"Head shields normal. Nostril pierced between 

 two or three nasals, bordered by the first upper labial, 

 or separated from that shield by a very narrow rim. 

 Lower eyeHd scaly, or with a small transparent disc. 

 Collar well marked. Dorsal scales much smaller than 

 caudals, not or but feebly imbricate ; ventral shields 

 tetragonal, feebly imbricate, smooth. Digits sub- 

 cylindrical or compressed, with smooth, tubercular, or 

 indistinctly keeled lamellae inferiorly. Femoral pores. 

 Tail long, cylindrical. 



