Lacerta, 131 



and size,* tlie upper, in contact with the parietal, sometimes large 

 and two in number, sometimes scarcely differentiated, the first, which 

 may be long and narrow, only exceptionallyt in contact with the 

 last supraocular ; a masseteric plate often, and a tympanic nearly 

 constantly distinguishable, the latter very rarely broken up into two ; 

 in exceptional cases J the temporal lepidosis is not different from that 

 of a typical L. mnralis. 



Pterygoid teeth nearly always absent. 



5 or 6 pairs of chin-shields, the three anterior in contact in the 

 middle § ; gular scales increasing in size towards the collar, sometimes 

 nearly as large as the plates of the latter, 12 to 22 (usually 15 to 19) 

 between the symphysis of the chiu-shields at the median collar-plate ; 

 gular fold usually absent or very indistinct. || Collar usually strongly 

 serrated, rarely rather feebly ,1 composed of 7 to 12 plates, usually 8' 

 to 10. 



Scales round and fiat or convex on the nape ; elongate rhombic or 

 hexagonal, oval or squarish-oval, or not or but scarcely broader than 

 long, more or less strongly keeled, sometimes nearly smooth except 

 towards the tail,** juxtaposed or feebly imbricate on the back ft; 

 often rather smaller on the upper part of the sides, again increasing 

 in size and losing the keels towards the ventrals ; 25 to 37, usuallv 

 30 to 35, across the middle of the body ; 11 (?) to 21 (^J) trans- 

 verse series, in the middle of the back, correspond to the length of the 

 head, 2, or 2 and 3 series, on the sides, correspond to a ventral plate. 



* In a number of specimens from Brussels, HoUsteig, and Schneeberg I count 

 16-33, 15-25, and 11-25 resjjectively. 



t Females from Clare Id., Sweden, St. Peter, Carniola, and Brosteni ; in a few 

 other cases the contact between the pai-ietal and the postocular is very slight. 



X Male from Bondy. 



§ Only two instead of the normal three in females from Lhanbryde, Cappagh, 

 Macroon, Kerry, and Killarney ; on one side in a male and a female from Clare 

 Id., females from Eoundstone and Greystone. 



II Perfectly distinct in males from Thetford, Graique, Sinaia, Esthonia, and 

 Padun, in females from Leggs, Sepirton, Cappagh, Hindhead, Fowey, Liraan, 

 Dambovita, and Kirghiz Steppes. 



^ Males from Borgo and Moscow, females from St. Peter, Carniola. 



** Males and females from West Eoss-shire, Kerry, Clare Id., and Sachalien 

 (Anderson), female from Fowey. The other extreme (scales shai-ply keeled) in 

 a male from Borgo. 



ft Fatio's statement as to a difference in the shape of the scales, characterising 

 the sexes, is not borne out by the material before me. It strikes me also as 

 remarkable that not a word is said about keels on the scales in that author's 

 detailed description. Was this omission intentional or accidental.? Barbier 

 (I.e.) denies the presence of keels in specimens from Normandy. 



