REPTILIA. 13 



originally described by Steinclachner from a specimen obtained by Dr. Stoliczka himself 

 near Dras in 1865 ; and the latter mentions in his diary having found some of the specimens 

 now obtained, those from Chiliscomo, under stones in exactly the same place in which he 

 procured the type on his former visit. The specimens described by Dr. Anderson as Cyrtodacty- 

 lus yarJcandensis were brought, with others, by a collector, who accompanied Dr. Henderson 

 on the mission which was sent to Yarkand in 1870 ; this mission traversed precisely the same 

 route through Kashmir and Leh as the second in 1873-74, and I do not think there can be 

 any reasonable doubt that the real locality whence Cyrtodactylus yarJcandensis was obtained 

 must have been Ladak, and not Yarkand, because this species appears to be replaced in 

 Yarkand by the next, and because Dr. Anderson was, I think, similarly misinformed by his 

 collector as to the true locality of the PTirynoceplialus which he assigned to P. caudivolvulus. 

 It is fortunate that Dr. Anderson's name does not stand, since it has, I think, been given 

 under an erroneous idea of the locality. 



The woodcut in the " Proceedings of the Zoological Society " representing this species is 

 very poor. Steindachner's figure is much better. Dr. Anderson's specimens had lost their 

 tails and their epidermis, and he consequently described the upper surface as smoothly granular 

 with enlarged scales, none of which are tubercular. As this does not agree with the fresher 

 specimens before me, and as the tail is very characteristic, I give a fresh description. Stein- 

 dachner's is in German. 



Description. Eorm moderately stout, head and body depressed, tail usually much 

 swollen and depressed at the base and tapering regularly. The fore foot laid forward does not 

 quite reach the end of the snout, laid back it extends more than half-way to the thigh, the 

 hind leg laid forwards reaches to the axil, or a little beyond it. Surface of the head covered 

 with subequal granules, three shields behind the nostril very little larger than the other scales 

 of the snout. Rostral large, and with a groove running down the upper part of its surface. 

 About ten upper labials on each side, the hinder ones very small ; about six lower labials. Mental 

 large, triangular, with two (sometimes three) pairs of enlarged chin-shields behind the labials 

 Pupil vertical. Ear-opening round and small, but larger than the dorsal tubercles. Back gran- 

 ular, with scattered, enlarged, convex tubercles (these are wanting in the specimens from 

 Kharbu). Upper surface of limbs granular; occasionally there are a few enlarged tubercles 

 on the thigh and tarsus. Scales on the lower surface flat and hexagonal. No femoral or 

 prseanal pores. Claws very small. Tail when perfect ringed, with three enlarged blunt 

 tubercles at each side of each ring, the uppermost the smallest ; upper surface of the tail 

 granular in the middle, lower surface covered with small smooth scales, no enlarged plates. 

 When reproduced, the form of the tail is the same, and it is much swollen at the base, but it 

 is uniformly granular and not ringed. 



Colour grey, with numerous darker crossbands, slightly wavy and irregular on the back, 

 limbs and tail. An adult measures 4 inches in length, tail 2'2. 



The tail is very rarely perfect. Steindachner, however, appears to have been mistaken in 

 supposing that of the specimen figured by him to have been reproduced. 



This species seems hitherto to have been found only in the Indus valley in Ladak, 

 where it appears to be abundant. 



G. lawderanus * is closely allied, but the tail seems different. 



1 Stoliczka : Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 1872, xli, Pt. 2, p. 105. 



