42 Lacertidai. 



AcanthoclactyJiis vnlgarls, vars. heJIi, ailnntica, mavrltanica, hianci, 

 Boulei)u-. Bull" Soe. Zuol. France, 1918, p. 149. 



lu the bi"oad sense, A. vuhjaris embraces all the individuals combining 

 the following characters : Small dorsal scales, ventral plates much 

 In-oader than long and in 8 or 10 longitudinal series, strongly keeled 

 upper caudal scales, feebly denticulated digits, and the first and fourth 

 supraoculars moi'e or less broken up into small shields and granules.* 

 Like all Acanthodactyls with an extensive range, it varies considerably, 

 and may l)e divided into several rather ill-defined geographical forms. 

 In order to avoid confusion, the following description is drawn up 

 exclusively from Spanish and Portugese specimens, which rejn-esent 

 the typical A. nihjarls of Dumc'ril and Bibrou. The distinctive features 

 of the varieties, together with tho numerical variation shown l)v the 

 material at my disposal, Avill lie dealt with afterwards. 



Habit rather robust, Itody moderately elongate, decidedly depressed. f 

 Head L\ to 1^ times as long as broad, its length 3| to 4 times in 

 length to vent in males, 4 to 4.^, times in females, its depth equal to 

 the distance between the anterior corner or the centre of the eye and 

 tvmpanum ; a lanceolate concavity from the frontonasal to the middle 

 of the frontal ; snout obtusely pointed, as long as the postocular part 

 of the head, with rather sharp canthus and feelily concave loreal 

 region ; nasals feebly swollen. Pileus twice as long as l)road. Neck 

 as broad as the head. The hind limb reaches the shoulder or the ear, 

 usually lietween these two points, in males, the axil or 1)etween the 

 shoulder and the ear in females; foot 1^ to H times as long as the 

 head ; fourth toe, from the base of the fifth, as long as the head, or a 

 little longer (up to 1^^ times), or a trifle shorter. Tail If to 2 times 

 as long as head and liody. 



Upper head-shields convex, sometimes rugose in the adult. Suture 

 between the nasals ?^ to i the length of the frontonasal, which is 

 broader than long, and a little broader than the interiiarial space ; 

 jircfi'Diitals longer than broad and foi-iiiiiig a median suture [J: : fi'oiital 



* Sciiles across middle of body 50 to 72 ; ti-.msverse serii's of ventral plates 

 28 to ;{;i ; fjular scales 21 to '32 ; feiiuiral jiores IS to ^U ; lamella,' under fourth 

 toe 18 to 2o. 



t Bedria^a ( 1S89) says " tronc . . arrondi on legerement deprimo." 



In specimens preserved in spirit the depth of the body is usually l.\ to 1;; times 

 in the width, .iiid in lif<\ aceordinj^ to the same authority (1879), these lizards 

 " phitten sirh, soliald drr o-erinj^-ste [Sonnen] Strahl in ihren Kiifii^- fidlt, 

 <4-anz ah." 



J A small azyj^'os prefrontal in a male from I'iudad ileal and in a j'ouny 

 from Tabernas do Vtilldit>-na. 



