Latastia. 



29 



Eugdeia Sogheira (type of L. clorhe). 6. (^ , Keren (type of L. doriie, 

 var. martensi). 7. S, Sheikh Othiiiau. 8. c?, El Kul)ar. 9. 9, 

 El Kubar. 



I have stated above that the femoral pores number from 6 to 16 on 

 each side — a most unusual range of variation, which gives rise to 

 suspicion that t"^\'o or more species are included in this definition. 

 Bedriaga has long ago proposed to separate the specimens with 5 to 

 8 pores (L. doriie, Bedr. = revoili, Yaill.) from those with 11 or 12 

 {L. samJiarico. Blanf. = longicandafa, Reuss), but specimens with 9 or 

 10 pores have since been found to fill up the gap between the supposed 

 species, and it is now known that the pores vary between 9 and 13 in 

 individuals from the same localitv. The character which was thousrht 

 to go hand in hand with the reduced number of pores, viz. the small 

 irregular plates on the pectoral region, believed to be 6 to 13 as 

 against a lower number in the specimens Avith 11 or 12 pores, proves 

 to be worthless, as I count from 6 to 29 in the specimens with 5 to 8 

 pores and 5 to 24 in those with 9 or more (6 to 18 in the specimens 

 from Suakin and Durrur). As I have been unable to find any 

 characters either in the scaling or in the markings to suppoi't the 

 distinction based on the femoral pores, I must retain the species in 

 the comprehensive sense indicated by the above synonymy. Yet the 

 range of variation in the femoral pores is certainly restricted according 

 to localities, as shown by the series from the African littoral of the 

 Eed Sea, the inland districts of Eritrea, S.W. Arabia, and Somali- 

 land ; and although there is no gap in the number of pores between 

 5 and 16, a tabulation of the material at my disposal shows the 

 numbers 6, 12 and 15 to be culminating points which establish a 

 discontinuous variation. 



The three types thus indicated may be recognised as ill-defined 

 varieties. There remains some difficulty with regard to the specimens 



