LACERTA MURALIS IN WESTERN EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA. 379 
University, and among them I was much surprised to find six examples, in one 
bottle labelled “ Podarcis muralis, var. lineata, Betta.—N apolitano, dono del Direttore, 
A. Costa, 1889,” which belong to an undescribed variety, just distinguishable from 
the typical form and in many respects approaching L. vivipara. Had there been but 
one specimen, and had it come from a district where L. muralis and L. vivipara 
co-exist, I should have regarded this form as probably a hybrid between the two 
species. But there are six specimens, and it is not known where they come from; 
for I can hardly believe the indication “ Napolitano ” to be correct, and Prof. Monticelli, 
who has searched the registers of his Museum, informs me the locality whence they 
were procured has not been noted, and he cannot answer for the correctness of the 
habitat. I am therefore inclined to think they come from some part of Northern 
Italy, as they show a strong general resemblance to the typical form, and I consider it 
necessary to establish for them a distinct variety, under the suggestive name of 
breviceps. 
In shape, the head (Pl. XXV. figs. 16 & 17) resembles that of L. vivipara ; it is small 
and convex, once and one-third to once and two-fifths as long as broad, and its depth 
equals the distance between the anterior border of the eye and the anterior border of 
the tympanum ; the snout is obtusely pointed. The neck is as broad as the head, or 
a little narrower. Body rather strongly depressed. Hind limb, in the males, reaching 
the axil or the shoulder; in the females, the elbow of the adpressed fore limb; foot 
a little longer than the head. 
Head-shields as in the typical form, but frontal rather broader; nasal forming a 
short suture with its fellow, and, in two specimens, in contact on one side with the 
anterior loreal; granules between the supraciliaries and the supraoculars reduced to 
3 to 10; parietals as long as broad or but slightly longer; occipital smaller than the 
interparietal, entirely absent in one specimen; temporal scales usually larger than 
in the typical form, the masseteric plate distinct and in contact with the upper 
temporal or separated from it by one series of scales; four upper labials anterior to 
the subocular. 
Gular scales rather large (20 to 25 in a longitudinal series) ; gular fold rather 
feebly marked. Collar very feebly denticulate, with 8 to 10 plates. 
Scales on body (PI. XXV. fig. 18) rhomboidal or distinctly hexagonal, and more 
strongly keeled than usual in the typical form, 46 to 55 across the middle of the 
body; 3, or 2 and 3, transverse series correspond to one ventral plate, 24 to 36 to the 
length of the head. Ventral plates in 6 longitudinal and 23 to 28 transverse series. 
Preanal plate large, bordered by one semicircle of small plates. Scales on the upper 
surface of the tibia keeled and much smaller than the dorsals. 22 to 24 lamellar scales 
under the fourth toe. 14 to 16 femoral pores on each side. 
Upper caudal scales strongly keeled and more or less distinctly pointed behind, 
sometimes nearly as much as in LZ. vivipara. 
