264 Mr. A. W. E. O'Shaughnessy on 



roundish or hexagonal scales ; gular region with minute 

 scales, becoming larger again laterally. Supralabials ten, 

 the last two minute ; infralabials eight. Mental a long wedge- 

 shaped plate reaching backward as far as the third infralabial. 

 Three postmentals on each side beneath the first, second, and 

 third infralabials, diminishing in size. A row of secondary 

 sublabials intervenes anteriorly between the second and third 

 postmentals and the infralabials, leaving the larger first post- 

 mental in contact with the first infralabial. Three or four 

 minute roundish scales at the point of the mental. Ear- 

 opening very narrow, oblique. Pupil narrow, vertical. Tail 

 with rings of tuberculous scales at intervals, and flat, squarish, 

 tessellated scales on the lower surface. 



Ground-colour pale brown. A long reddish brown stripe 

 from the nose on each side of the head to the back, some way 

 behind the shoulders, where it is enlarged and, joining that of 

 the opposite side, forms a saddle-shaped patch. A small 

 isolated brown spot, pointed anteriorly, forked posteriorly, on 

 the occiput, and some transverse brown patches on the hinder 

 portion of the back. 



Two specimens from West Africa. Length 4| inches. 



Hemidactylus echinus } sp. n. 



A species, the type of which comes from West Africa, pre- 

 senting the peculiarity of a series of prickles or short spines 

 along the side of the body. 



Upper parts minutely granular, with numerous small con- 

 vex tubercles scattered irregularly, becoming fewer or failing 

 altogether on the head, where the general very fine granulation 

 becomes scarcely coarser on the muzzle. Eyelid with small 

 tubercular scales. Chin and chest minutely granular ; scales 

 of belly very minute, close-set, almost granular ; several 

 crescentic series of larger preanal scales enclosing a curved 

 series of eight pores. No femoral pores. The lowermost 

 tubercles on the side of the body are developed into a regular 

 series of pointed projections or prickles, extending between the 

 fore and the hind limb ; though minute, they present a strong 

 resemblance to the spines of a sea-urchin. Kostral broad, 

 divided ; supralabials twelve ; infralabials eight, with a line 

 of narrow secondary sublabials beneath them. Mental tri- 

 angular, with a small scale at its point and a pair of small 

 postmentals on each side. Tail quadrangular, the ridges with 

 projecting spinous tubercles. Ear-opening very small. Pupil 

 vertical. 



Colour brown, paler on the lower parts, with a diamond- 

 shaped dark spot on the centre of the nape, some lighter 



