314 Lacertidiv. 



ocellar spots ; below this a second series of less distinct ocellar spots ; 

 limbs with large white, dark-edged round spots and small black 

 dots ; sutures between the labials black ; lower parts with black dots. 

 This coloration agi-ees very closely with that of young specimens 

 of L. danfordii. Boettger describes his Nicaria adult specimens 

 (L. certzeni) as bluish-grey above, with three longitudinal bands of 

 black spots and the lower parts uniform bluish tinged with orange, 

 and the young as quite l)lack above, with four pale green longitudinal 

 streaks, the outer broken up into spots. There is therefore much 

 variation in the markings of the specimens referred to L. anatollca by 

 Mchely, who also figures some covered with round whitish spots and 

 with dark cross-bars on the tail, and observes that, although at first 

 sight very different from L. danfordii, closer examination reveals 

 these different patterns to belong to the same fundamental plan. 



Measurements (in millimetres) of a male from near Eski Shekel : 



. J> 



. 27 



. 40 



. 21 



According to Werner the variation in the proportion of length to 

 width of head is 1 : 38 to 1 : 44 in L. danfordii* 1 : 53 to 1 : 74 in 

 L. anatollca. This is really the only important difference on which 

 the two forms are based, and I believe it would break down w^ere 

 the speciuiens from Rhodes, Samos, and the Southern Sporades 

 re-examined. All the other characters that have been adduced in 

 favour of the separation, viz. relation of rostral to nostril, number of 

 longitudinal rows of ventrals, anal scutellation, shape and size of the 

 occipital, and coloration, are siibject to such variations as to be useless, 

 and are mostly disposed of by an examination of the series of specimens 

 on which L. danfordii was established. 



Habitat. — Anatolia, Ehodes, Samos, and Southern Sporades. 



Yar. GR.ECA.t 



This is a distinct form, only known from Southern Greece, which is, 

 however, so closely I'elated to and so completely connected with 

 L. danfordii that, according to the standard followed in the genus 

 Lacerta (L. ocellata, L. riridis, L. muralis), I cannot accord it higher 

 rank than that of subspecies. That is, after all, perhaps only a matter 



* 1 : 55 in one of the specimens of which measurements are given above. 

 t The name modesta, Bedriaga, which has priority over grceca, cannot be used, 

 being preoccupied in the genus (JJ. muralis, var. modesta, Eimer). 



