Mr. A. W. E. O'Shauglinessy on Norops auratiis. 275 



in the Avords of Dr. Ilallowell, one species {N. auratus) lias the 

 toes " dihited, although not to the same extent as in many 

 species of Anolis,^'' -while in the other species (his macrodac- 

 ti/lus, which is the 12-striatus) thej are " totally destitute of 

 such dilatation." Daudin, however, gives no description of 

 other characters sufficient to establish one or other of the spe- 

 cies ; the coloration Avhich he describes might be that of 12- 

 striatus, were it not for the two different descriptions of colora- 

 tion given by Dumeril and Bibron in their more elaborate 

 account of Norojm auratus. In their resume of the characters 

 of that species I read, " Corps d'un bnm fauve dord, avec on 

 sans bande d'une teinte plus claire sur le dos," with no mention 

 whatever of a white stripe ; and in their coloured figure there 

 is only a partial one from the ear to the shoulder, whereas the 

 dark purplish stripe which I have mentioned as occurring in 

 auratiis extends unaccompanied the whole length of the side. 

 It was the subsequent statement about a white lateral stripe 

 in one of the specimens, together with the length given to the 

 hind legs, which led me to presume that one of their specimens 

 might have been a N. 12-striatus. As, however, in all other 

 respects their description differs from that of A^. 12-stn'atuSf 

 justifying Dr. Berthold's subsequent separation of that species, 

 and as it is the first satisfactory scientific description of A^. 

 aurafuSj I think it but natural to take it as the basis of all 

 argument relative to that species. 



Since Dumdril and Bibron have given two descriptions of 

 the coloration, I have, of course, as much right to choose the 

 one in support of my view as Prof. Peters has to choose the 

 other. My " supposition " of the identity of his Atioh's trojji- 

 donotus with the species of Dumeril and Bibron does not, 

 however, rest merely or even chiefly on the matter of the co- 

 loration, but on the fact of the agreement of the two in all the 

 •important characters Avhich are more ]n-o})erly structural, save 

 the one above mentioned. AN itii regard to thi'sj I need only 

 quote Dr. B(>rthold's express statement that the hind limljs in A^. 

 auratus of Daudin, Wagler, and DunK^ril and liibron ''reach 

 to the mouth, the fore limbs even beyond ;" and 1 may state, 

 besides, that in a specimen of that species which I have just 

 examined both ])airs of limbs reach beyond the head (as in 

 tropidonotus). What can T)c ])laiuer than these words of Prof. 

 Peters, — " Two longitudinal rows of keeled scales between 

 the supralabials aTid the eye " (in tropidonotus) ? or than these 

 of Dumeril and Bii)ron, — " 11 cxiste un double rang de grandos 

 ^cailles cardn^es au-dessus de la S(5rie des plaques labiales 

 sup^rieures " ? 



Curiously enough, in the latter part of his note, Prof. Peters 



