THE TRUE LIZARDS 



2525 



not fringed, though generally more or less distinctly keeled inferiorly, while 

 the overlapping scales of the back bear strong keels. Among these the Spanish 

 keeled lizard, or sand runner (P. hispanicus} , retains a trace of a collar and has 

 strongly-keeled soles; whereas in the Algerian keeled lizard (P. algirus) the collar 

 is wanting, and the soles are at most but feebly keeled. The figured species, which 

 inhabits not only Northwestern Africa, but likewise Portugal, Spain, and the south 



<r 



ALGERIAN KEELED LIZARDS. 

 (Three-fourths natural size.) 



of France, reaches nearly ten and one-half inches in length, and has a tail almost 

 twice as long as the head and body. It is specially distinguished by the scales 

 of the abdomen being of nearly equal width and arranged in six rows, as well as 

 by the presence of from thirty to thirty -six scales round the middle of the body. 

 In color, this lizard is bronzy green above, with one or two golden, dark-edged 

 streaks along the side; the male being ornamented with a pale blue eye-like spot 



