REPTILES. 27 



The specimens brought home by Mr. Darwin were from Port Desire, in 

 Patagonia, and the following observations occur in his MS. notes : — " Centre of 

 the back yellowish brown, sometimes with a strong tinge of dark green ; sides 

 clouded with blackish brown ; in very great numbers under stones ; makes a 

 grating noise when taken hold of ; after death loses its darker colours. 



" A specimen being kept for some days in a tin box, changed colour into an 

 uniform grey, without the black cloudings. I thought I noticed some change 

 after catching and bringing home these animals, but could observe no instan- 

 taneous change." 



I have considered these specimens as belonging to the species to which I 

 have assigned them, because they exactly agree with Mons. Bibron's description. 

 It is, however, very possible that an opportunity of comparing them with those 

 obtained by Gaudichaud, would show them to be distinct, as it rarely happens 

 that the same species of reptile is found on the opposite sides of the American 

 Continent. 



Genus— NAULTINUS. Gray. 

 Naultinus Grayii. 



Plate XIV.— Fig. 2. 



Oinnino viridis ; fronte subconcavo ; squamulis capitis planis. 



Description. — Head thick, swollen across the posterior part, concave between the eyes, and for- 

 wards nearly to the snout, which is rounded. Scales of the head larger towards the fore part, 

 nearly flat. Eyes round, large ; ears longitudinally oval. Body covered with small nearly equal 

 scales. Tail round, one-fifth longer than the body. Limbs short, the anterior, when placed 

 against the side, reaching but little more than half way to the thigh ; the posterior reaching 

 about two-thirds the distance towards the shoulder. Toes short; on the anterior foot the 

 first is the shortest, then the second, the fifth, and the fourth ; on the posterior increasing in 

 the same series ; all compressed towards the extremity, and all furnished with small curved 

 close claws. 



The colour is a fine green. 



It was taken at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It lives on trees, and is 

 said to make a laughing noise. 



This species greatly resembles Naultinus Elegans* of Mr. Gray, of which a 

 beautiful specimen is in the British Museum. Upon a comparison of the two, 



• See Fauna of New Zealand, p. 203. Zool. Misc. p. 72. 



