QUEENSLAND AND FAPVAN EEPTILES.— LONGMAN. 37 



NOTES ON SOME QUEENSLAND AND 

 PAPUAN REPTILES. 



By Heber a. Longman, F.L.S., Director. 



(Plates XI to XV.) 



LACERTILIA. 



NEPHRURUS ASPER, G tint her. 

 (Plate XI.) 



A LIVE specimen of this grotesque little gecko was recently sent to Bris- 

 bane from North Queensland, being subsequently donated to the ]\Iuseura. Its 

 appearance in life is shown in Plate XI., but a short cinematograph film would 

 be needed to demonstrate the range of its curious movements. When disturbed, 

 it has the habit of raising itself to tlie full extent of the long thin legs and then 

 lowering its body nearly to the ground ; this being done repeatedly. Occasionally, 

 when teased, it gives a short side-spring and emits a cough-like bark, which has 

 gained for it the name of "Barking Lizard." It bites so determinedly that 

 when gripping a finger it may bo lifted in that way from the ground. The jaws 

 are too weak, however, for it to inflict much damage. Broom notes a specimen 

 of a more docile temperament.^ Our lizard lived in captivity for a few weeks, 

 being fed on grasshoppers. The white transverse bands were very noticeable in 

 this specimen; but this feature is somewhat variable. The appearance of the 

 skin brings to mind the test of a sea-urchin. In addition to specimens from 

 several localities in North and Western Queensland, we have an example from 

 Pine Creek, Northern Territory (received through ]\tr. G. P. Hill). The Horn 

 Expedition secured this lizard at Alice Springs, and Lonuberg and Andersson 

 have recorded it from Kimberley, N. W. Australia. 



LIALIS BURTONU, Gray. 

 (Plate Xir.) 



The two specimens here illustrated had been in captivity for several 

 months. They represent varieties A and C as noted by Boulenger in the British 

 Museum Catalogue. Both these snake-like lizards were captured by the writer in 

 Brisbane. 



EGERNIA BUNGANA, De Vis. 

 (Plato XIII.) 



In 1887 De Vis described this species,- but the type has unfortunately 

 disappeared. The Queensland Museum now contains two specimens, one of which 

 was recently secured alive by the writer at Tambourine Mountain. This lizard 



1 Broom, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxii, 1897, p. 640. 



2 Da Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (2), ii, 1887, p. 814. 



