1874.] MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON TWO NEW LIZARDS. 657 



large Lizard is mentioned, which is said to inhabit Mesopotamia, to 

 be longer and larger than a man's arm, and to make holes like those 

 of Foxes. The description evideutly refers to a Uromastix. 



At the same time I had heard from Major St. John of a similar 

 large Lizard which he had once seen abundantly in the plains near 

 Bushire, and which he assured me closely resembled Centrotrachelus 

 asmussi, the great Spine-tailed Lizard of Central Persia. I con- 

 cluded that both these Lizards were probably identical ; and as the 

 species was unknown, I called Mr. Sclater's attention to their exist- 

 ence, in the hope that he might succeed in obtaining specimens. In 

 this, I am happy to say, he has been successful. Of the Bushire 

 Lizard a young example in spirit has been sent to him by the Hon. 

 Evelyn Ellis, F.Z.S., who, after much trouble and inquiry, succeeded 

 in inducing the natives to bring it to him ; whilst three of the Meso- 

 potamian Lizard were brought from Basrah (Bussora of some maps) 

 alive by Captain Phillips, and presented to the Society's Gardens, 

 where they only lived for a short time. On examining these speci- 

 mens, it appears that the Basrah animal is quite distinct from that 

 of Bushire, the former being a true Uromastix, closely allied to the 

 African U. spinipes, whilst the latter belongs to Strauch's genus 

 Centrotrachelus, founded in 1863 (Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Pet. vi. 

 p. 479) for the remarkable Central- Persian Lizard already mentioued. 

 This genus is distinguished from Uromastix by the possession of 

 much-enlarged tubercles in transverse rows on the back. The 

 specimen from Bushire is very close to C. asmussi, but appears to 

 me to differ specifically. 



It appears rather surprising that two Lizards so large and con- 

 spicuous as these Uromasticine forms should have hitherto escaped 

 attention. One cause may be that during the winter season these 

 Lizards appear but rarely ; and it is highly probable that they 

 hibernate. Major St. John informs me that he has been all over 

 the plains near Bushire in winter without seeing any Centrotra- 

 cheli, but that he met with them once when riding from Shif, a 

 small fort opposite Bushire, to Borasjun in May — the only occasion 

 on which he had left the regular road in summer. The Lizards 

 were sitting outside their holes in the evening; and a bull- terrier 

 which was with him killed two, one of which attacked the dog. 

 This is rather surprising ; for all forms of Uromastix and its allies 

 are very gentle animals, and, as a rule, never attempt to bite even 

 when captured. 



It is only during the winter that the hot sandy plains of Meso- 

 potamia and Southern Persia are ever, as a rule, crossed by travellers 

 in the day-time. In the summer months all travelling is usually 

 done by night : at least, this is the practice of the inhabitants ; and 

 I know from experience how difficult it is to induce them to march 

 in the day-time. All species of Uromastix appear to inhabit semi- 

 desert plains ; and such are precisely the places which are hottest 

 and most unpleasant to traverse in the day-time. 



The species of Uromastix, Centrotrachelus, and Liolepis are 

 distinguished from the other Agamoid Lizards by their peculiar 



