Psammodromus. 163 



Habitat. — This species, once believed to be a native of Java, is only 

 known from the southern pai-ts of Cape Colony. The types are from 

 the Eastern parts of the Colony, and the lizard is found close to 

 Cape Town, on Table Mountain in particular. 



14. PSAMMODROMUS. 



Psammndronnis, Fitziug. IST. Class. Rept. p. 22 (1826); Wiegm. 

 Herp. Mex. p. 10 (1834) ; Dum. & Bibr. Erp. Gen. v, p. 251 (1839) ; 

 Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 38 (1845) ; Strauch, Mel. Biol. Ac. St. Petersb. vi, 

 1867, p. 408 ; Lataste, Ann. Mus. Genova (2) ii, 1885, p. 125 ; 

 Bouleug. Cat. Liz. iii, p. 46 (1887). 



Tropidosaura, part., Fitzing. I.e. ; Wiegm. I.e. ; Dum. & Bibr. t.c. 

 p. 163 ; Bedriaga, Abh. Senck. Ges. xiv, 1886, p. 417. 



Algira, Cuv. Ecgne Auim., Ed. 2, ii, p. 31 (1829). 



As2)istls (non Hoffm.), Wagler, Syst. Amph. p. 156 (1830). 



Psammuros, Wagler, I.e. ; Wiegm. I.e. 



NotoplioUs, Wiegm. I.e. 



Algira, part.. Gray, I.e. ; Lataste, I.e. 



Zerzoumia, Lataste, Le Naturaliste, 1880, p. 299 ; Bedriaga, t.c. 

 p. 411. 



Head- shields normal. Nostril pierced between two 

 nasals, m contact with the first upper labial or separated 

 from it ])y a narrow rim. Lower eyelid scaly. Collar 

 absent or feebly marked ; a short fold in front of 

 the arm. Back covered with large, rhoml)ic, strongly 

 keeled and imbricate scales ; ventral shields rounded or 

 truncate behind, smooth. Digits slightly compressed, 

 with smooth, tubercular, or keeled lamellae inferiorly. 

 Femoral pores. Tail long, cylindrical. 



South- Western Europe and North- Western Africa. 



The affinities of the four species grouped under Psammodromus 

 may be expressed as follows : 



P. hisjpanicus 



P. a/ginis P. blanci P. mirrodactylus. 



P. hlaiici is on the whole, in my opinion, the mo.'^t primitive species, 

 probably derived from allies of L. agilis and L. parva. The three 



