Lacerta. 219 



Var. FILFOLENSIS. 



Zootoca lilfordi, part., Griinth. Aim. & Mag. N.H. (4), xiv, 1874, 

 p. 158. 



Lacerta filfolensis, Bedriaga, Die Faraglione-Eidechse, p. 19 (1876) ; 

 Brauu, Arb. Zool. Inst. Wiirzb. iv, 1877, p. 49, pi. i, tig. 14 ; Bedriaga, 

 Arch. f. Nat. 1878, p. 297. 



Lacerta muralis, part., Eimer, Arch. f. Nat. 1881, p. 370 ; Camerano, 

 Mou. Saur. Ital. p. 30 (1885) ; Schreib. Herp. Eur., ed. 2, p. 410 

 (1912). 



Lacerta mtiralis, var. filfolensis, Eimer, Arch. f. Nat. 1881, p. 408, 

 pi. XV, fig. 24; Bedriaga, Abh. Seuck. G-es. xiv. 1886, p. 234; Bouleng. 

 Cat. Liz. iii, p. 32 (1887), and Tr. Zool. Soc. xvii, 1905, p. 401, pi. xxvii, 

 fig. 9, and pi. xxviii, fig. 5 ; Schreib. op. cit. p. 419 ; Bouleng. Tr. 

 Zool. Soc. XX, 1913, p. 156, pi. xvii, figs. 6-8. 



Podarcis muralis, var. filfolensis, De Betta, Atti 1st. Yen. (3), v, 

 1879, p. 392. 



Lacerta muralis, neapolitana, part., Bedriaga, Abh. Senck. Ges. xiv, 

 1886, p. 220. 



Lacerta muralis, var. serpa, j)art., Bouleng. Tr. Zool. Soc. xvii, 1905, 

 p. 399, pi. xxvii, fig. 8. 



Lacerta muralis, var. chrysochlora, Schreib. op. cit. p. 420. 



With an insufficient material before me, I first referred the lizards 

 from Malta and Linosa to L. serpa (= albiventris), and maintained 

 the var. filfolensis for the larger form from the Filfola Eock, near 

 Malta. The characters for separating the latter now break down, but 

 the Maltese and Linosa specimens are sufliciently distinguished by their 

 coloration and their average smaller scaling to be separated from the 

 former. I therefore retain the name filfolensis, 1)ut apply it to the 

 lizards from the main island and from Linosa and Lampione, as well as 

 to those for which it was originally intended. Much as I regret using so 

 unsuitable a name, in view of the extended range of the variety, I am 

 compelled to do so in preference to the alternative of proposing a new 

 name. I should see no objection to these lizards being united with 

 the var. quadrilineata from Corsica and Sardinia, from which some 

 specimens are, to my eye, undistinguishable. The only characters 

 which can be adduced in favour of their separation is that in the var. 

 quadrilineata there are usually fewer than 70 scales across the body 

 (56 to 77 being the ascertained range of variation), and the rostral 

 usually touches or enters the nostril, and in the xar. filfolensis there 

 are usually more scales and the rostral rarely touches the nostril.* 

 * In about 10 per cent, of the specimens examined. 



