16. PHTILODICTTLITS. 87 



with the cranial ossification; upper surface of head concave, the 

 borders forming a ridge ; eyes large, very prominent. Body mode- 

 rate ; limbs rather long. Digits moderate, with a series of trans- 

 verse lamellae inferiorly; the digital expansions well developed, 

 roundish subtrapezoid. Upper surface of head covered with rather 

 elongate slightly keeled scales; the scales on the supraorbital 

 region roundish, flat. Rostral trapezoid ; rostral and first labial 

 touching the nostril ; twelve upper and as many lower labials : 

 mental triangular, a little broader than long, in contact with two 

 much elongate hexagonal chin-shields ; two other chin-shields on 

 each side, and also several smaller ones behind, central largest. Upper 

 surface of head and limbs covered with small granules intermixed 

 with large trihedral tubercles, becoming almost spine-like on the 

 hinder part of the back ; these tubercles are arranged in six regular 

 longitudinal series on the back, and there are besides many more, 

 but irregularly disposed, down the sides ; abdominal scales rather 

 large, roundish, smooth. Tail cylindrical, tapering, with rings of 

 large spinoso tubercles. Dark grey above ; a LJ -shaped white line 

 enclosing the hinder part of the head ; a light vertebral line, black- 

 edged and crossed by four large black-edged light bands ; tail with 

 dark annuli ; dirty white beneath ; a violet-grey spot in front of 

 the vent. 



Total length 143 millim. 



Head 23'5 „ 



Width of head 17 „ 



Body 46-5 „ 



Tail 73 „ 



Nossi Be, Madagascar. 



14. Phyllodactylus porphyrens. (Plate VII. fig. 5.*) 



Gecko porphyreus, Daud. Rept. iv. p. 130 ; Merrem, Tent. p. 43. 

 Sphserodactylus porphyreus, Wagl. Syst. Amph. p. 143. 

 Phyllodactylus porphyreus, part., Dum. Sf Bibr. iii. p. 393. 



Head oviform, much longer than broad ; snout rounded, a little 

 longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, once 

 and two fifths the diameter of the orbit ; forehead very slightly con- 

 cave ; ear-opening small, roundish or oval, its diameter one third to 

 one half that of the eye. Body rather elongate ; limbs moderate. 

 Digits not much depressed ; digital expansions moderate, rounded, 

 subtrapezoid ; the diameter of the disk of the fourth toe equals two 

 thirds the diameter of the eye ; the slender part of the digit with 

 regular transverse lamellae inferiorly, which are broken up into 

 small scales a short distance in advance of the distal expansion; 

 seven or eight entire lamellae under the fourth toe. Upper surfaces 

 covered with uniform small granules, largest on the snout, smallest 

 on the hinder part of the head, llostral four-sided, twice as broad 



* End of snout, X 4. 



