22,5 Taylor: Herpetological Fauna, III 541 



Tropidophoms rivularis Taylor. 



Tropidophorus rivularis Taylor, Philip. Journ. Sci. § D 10 (1915) 

 106; Lizards of the Philippine Islands (1922) 240, pi. 21, fig. 2. 



A large series of this species was collected along the Tumu- 

 gao River, Zamboanga, and at Abung-abung, Basilan. The 

 lizards were invariably found along small rivers or brooks, 

 usually under partly submerged logs or stones. They generally 

 entered the water to escape pursuit. 



Among the lot of about fifty specimens are numerous large 

 females containing embryos. One female contains five embryos 

 which measure approximately 90 millimeters in length, with a 

 snout-to-vent measurement of 35 millimeters. The longest adult 

 specimen in the collection (No. 1081 from Zamboanga) measures 

 260 millimeters in length ; snout to vent, 108. 



Most of the older specimens have the throat coal black with a 

 few scattered white spots, and the belly a deep red-orange. 

 Above they are dull blackish to olive, variegated with dim traces 

 of transverse bars. This species and the recently described 

 Tropidophorus stejnegeri are closely related, but distinct. Both 

 were taken in the same general localities, save that T. stejnegen 

 was always found in the forest and mountains away from water. 



Brachymeles elerse TAYLOR, 



figs 4 and 5; Lizards of the Philippine Islands (1922) 254. 



Two specimens were collected at Balbalin, Kalinga Subprov- 

 ince, which I have referred to this species. They agree with 

 the type specimen in general. However, the internasa s appear 

 to be somewhat larger, and the prefrontals are narrowly ,n con- 

 tact, separating the prefrontal from the frontal; the fronto- 

 parietals are also in contact ; the arrangement of the chin shields 

 is the same as in the cotype. 15 . 



The preanals appear to be somewhat smaller than mfte^ 

 One of the specimens has no digits on one hind leg, due .to .an 

 old injury. The length of the longest toe is about 5 ^^^ 

 of the longest finger about 0.25 millimeter; the distance between 

 the snout and the insertion of the foreleg ; is ^^ ^ 

 axilla-to-groin distance three and «even-te»t^^e^h 

 of the hind leg is contained in the axilla-to-groin distance nine 

 and four-tenths times. 



18 Taylor, loc. cit. fig- 5. 



