^Ir. A. W. E. O'Sliauglinessy on Xoro]).<. IS.") 



Now, since tlie year 1840 it has Ijcen known tliat two 

 distinct forms of Xorops exist, — (1) a lizard with a compara- 

 tively short tail, toes distinctly dilated, although not to the 

 same extent as in many species of Ano/i's, the head entirely 

 covered with strongly keeled scales, and long limbs, the hinder 

 ones when laid forward reaching to the tip of the snout ; (2) a 

 slenderer lizard with head more depressed and pointed, the 

 muzzle only furnished with keeled scales, those of the rest of 

 the head smooth, a much longer tail, much shorter limljs, the 

 hinder ones reaching, Avhcn laid forwards, to the ear-opening 

 only, and a bright white vitta passing along the side. 



This second form was described by Bertliold in 1840, ^ Ab- 

 handlungen der Koniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaftcn 

 zu Gottingcn,' 1840, ]>. 62, under the name of Draconura 12- 

 striata. His description is full and distinct, and accompanied 

 by a coloured figure (not very good, but showing well the 

 slenderer shape and long tail of the form in question) and a 

 diagram of the upper surface of the head, which exactly re})re- 

 sents that configuration and arrangement of the shields which 

 distinguishes this species from the other. 



The shields of this part of the head are much smoother, ])re- 

 sent a more regular spiimetrical arrangement, and give a much 

 flatter a])pearance to the whole surface than in the first-men- 

 tioned form. Moreover the occipital plate is an ovate, well- 

 defined shield, much larger than any other shield of the head, 

 whereas in the other form it is very small and inconspicuous. 

 There is only one series of scales between the supralabials and 

 the eye, Avhereas there are two in the auratus of Dumcril and 

 Bibron. 



The anterior limbs are said to reach to the tip of the snout, 

 the posterior ones to the ear. The length of "the tail is said to 

 be three times that of the body. 



In a memoir, ^ Ueber verschiedene ncue oder seltene Rep- 

 tilien, &c.,' Gottingcn, 1846, at p. 6, Bertliold mentions the 

 Avolifi auratus of Daudin, the Norops auratus of Wagler and 

 D. & B., as the only known species of Norops^ thus regarding it 

 still as even generically different from l2-sfr/'afus. He says, 

 " the head is covered with small, many-keeled plates ; the 

 hinder limbs reach to the mouth, the fore limbs even beyond." 

 These are clearly the characters of the form of Xorojis first 

 mentioned above. 



Returning to the original descriptioji of Xorojhf auratus bv 

 Dumcril and Bibron, taken from two specimens, one from 

 Guiana the other from Surinam (or Cayenne), we find that it 

 differs only in one p(»int from this particular form, i. e. the 

 auratus above mentioned, the shorter-tailed, longer-limbed 



