36 REPTILES. 



There is a smooth species with palmated feet in France, — A. 

 Leachianus, Cuv. 



A second subdivision of the Geckos, which I call the 



Hemidactyli. 



The Hemidactyles have the base of the toes furnished with an oval disk 

 formed beneath by a double row of scales, en chevron : from the middle 

 of this disk rises the second phalanx, which is slender, and has the third 

 or the nail at its extremity. The species known have five nails, and a 

 series of pores on each side of the anus. The sub-caudal scales form 

 broad bands like those on the belly of serpents. 



There is one species in the south of Europe, G. vermculatus, 

 Cuv., of a reddish-grey ; the back covered with little conical tuber- 

 cles, somewhat rounded; circles of similar tubercles round the tail; 

 found in Italy, Sicily, and Provence, like the G. fascicularis. 



A very similar species, G. mabuia, Cuv., with still smaller tuber- 

 cles, those of the tail more pointed; grey, clouded with brown; 

 brown rings on the tail, abounds throughout the hot portions of Ame- 

 rica, where it enters the houses. It is known in the French colonies 

 by the name of Mabouia des murailles*. 



There are others at Pondicherry and Bengal so very similar, that 

 we are almost induced to believe that they have been carried there in 

 vessels -j\ 



A Hemidactylus with a bordered body, G. marcjinatus, Cuv., is 

 also found in India; its feet are not palmated; the tail is horizontally 

 flattened, and its edges are trenchant and somewhat fringed. It was 

 sent from Bengal by M. Duvaucel. 



The third division of the Geckos, which I shall call 



Thecadactyli. 



The Thecadactyles have the toes widened throughout their length, and 

 furnished beneath with transverse scales ; but these scales are divided by 

 a deep longitudinal furrow, in which the nail can be completely concealed. 

 In the species known to me the nails are deficient on the thumbs only ; 

 the femoral pores are wanting, and their tail is covered above and beneath 

 with small scales. 



G. laevis, D. ; Stellio pcrfoliatus, Schn. ; Lac. rapicauda, Gm. ; 

 Le Gecko lissc, Daud. IV, li, (The Smooth Gecko), known in the 

 French colonies as the Mabouia des bananiers. Grey, marbled with 

 brown ; finely granulated, but without tubercles above ; small scales 

 beneath ; its naturally long tail, which is encircled with plaits as usual, 



* So far as we can judge from the figure, the Thecadacti/lus policaris and the Gecko 

 acuteatus, Spix, XVIII, 2 and 3, seem to be different ages of this Mabouia des mu- 

 railles. M. M. de Jonnes has given a monograph of them, but he confounds it with 

 different species. 



f To this division also belong the G. a lubercules triedres and the G. a queue epi- 

 neuse of Daud. ; the first is identical with the Stell. maurilankus of Schn. The Stell. 

 platyurus, Schn., is also closely allied to it. 



