vi INTRODUCTION. 
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 the pelvic region for the purpose 
of ascertaining whether the diapophyses 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. W. 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 
lire-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.” Where none of these signs are employed, the specimens 
were purchased. 
G. A. BOULENGER. 
British Museum, 
Jan, 30, 1882. 
