LACERTA MURALIS IN WESTERN EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA. 373 
respect but the ground-colour from the brown or green lizards of Minorca and 
Majorca, the markings of which may be detected in certain lights in some adult black 
specimens, and which are distinctly shown by all young specimens. Brown and olive- 
green specimens from Minorca were first referred by Bedriaga to his subspecies fusca, 
and afterwards to a distinct variety named balearica; whilst specimens with a blue or 
blue-green back, from the Dragoneras Island, near Majorca, were described as another 
variety named after Prof. Giglioli of Florence. 
Having recently received from Sefior J. Ferrer, of Mahon, numerous living 
specimens (some brown, some green, some bluish green on the back, and the green ones 
having after a time become brown !), I cannot regard the coloration as affording any 
justification for the establishment of varieties; and as the structural characters are the 
same in these so-called varieties, I have no hesitation in throwing them all together 
under the name of var. li/fordi Giinther, which has priority over that of balearica. 
The form on which ZL. lilfordi was established I regard as a mere case of melanism, 
fixed on certain islands, through influences which are as yet unexplained; but there 
would, in my opinion, be no more reason for allowing it the rank of variety, in the 
sense in which I take the term, than in the case of the black individuals of Vipera berus 
and V. aspis or of Lacerta vivipara. Besides, if all the individuals on Ayre Island and 
other islets in the Balearic are affected with melanism, the name of the variety coupled 
with an indication of the locality is amply sufficient to avoid confusion with any other 
form. On the other hand, the Iviza lizard, which has been treated by previous authors 
as a race equivalent to the vars. balearica, gigliolii, and li/fordi, can be well defined and 
constitutes a quite distinct form. 
Having explained my reasons for throwing together the so-called varieties mentioned 
in the synonymy, I will proceed to a description of the material before me, consisting 
of 32 specimens from the following localities: —Mahon (Braun in Lataste Coll., Bedriaga, 
Ferrer), I. del Rey, near Minorca (Braun in Lataste Coll., Ferrer), I. del Ayre, near 
Minorca (Lilford, Braun in Lataste Coll., Ferrer), I. Dragoneras, near Majorca (Bedriaga), 
I. la Guardia, near Majorca(Bosca). ‘The specimens from Is. del Ayre and la Guardia 
are black or blackish, and represent the L. lilfordi, sensu stricto. 
Head (Pl. XXVI. figs. 7a, 7b) once and a half to once and two-thirds as long as 
broad, moderately depressed, its depth in the tympanic region equalling the distance 
between the anterior border or the centre of the eye and the anterior border of the 
tympanum ; snout usually decidedly pointed. Neck as broad as or broader than the 
head. Body moderately depressed. Hind limb reaching the shoulder, the collar, 
or a little beyond the latter in males, the axil or the shoulder in females; foot once to 
once and one-third the length of the head. ‘Tail once and a half to once and four- 
fifths the length of head and body, rounded in section, cyclotetragonal at the base. 
1 As happens in the males of our Sand-Lizard, Lacerta agilis. 
