18*^3'] GECKOS OF NEW CALEDONIA. 127 



I may relate how the confusion took place : — 



Overlooking Bocage's description, T renamed the species in 1878 

 Chamc'leotiurus trachycephalus. Shortly afterwards, Sauvage re- 

 described it as Platydactylus chahoua, Bavay, which it is not, treating 

 Rhacodactylus trachyrhynchiis, Bocage, as a synonym. The fol- 

 lowing year I published a note in which I referred my O. trachy- 

 cephalus to R. trachyrhynchus and P. chahoua, having been informed 

 by Dr. Sauvage that the three forms were identical. At that time I 

 had not at hand Bavay'.s excellent monograph, which had been lent 

 to me on the former occasion by M. Lataste, and was not able to 

 reconsult the original description of P. chahoua ; but believing Dr. 

 Sauvage to have examined authenticated specimens, I did not think 

 there was anj' reason for suspecting tiie accuracy of his statement. 

 I was afterwards informed by Dr. Sauvage that the Paris specimens 

 had simply beeu compared with Bavay's description ; and as the latter 

 is not at all applicable to R. trachyrhynchus, I came to the conclusion 

 that this and R. chahoua were distinct species. This was confirmed 

 by the examination of M. Bavay's typical specimen. 



11. Rhacodactylus AURicuLATus. 

 Platydactylus auriculatus, Bavay, Cat. p. 6. 



* Ceratolophus liexaceros, Bocage, Jorn. Soc. Lisb. 1873, p. 205. 



*Platy dactyl us {Ceratolophus) auriculatus, Sauvage, Bull. Soc. 

 Philom. (7) iii. p. &7. 



*Ceratolophus auriculatus, Bocage, Joru. So. Lisb. 1881, p. 130. 



Head subpyiamidal ; snout longer than the distance between the 

 orbit and the ear-opening, once and two thirds the diameter of the 

 orbit, slightly swollen at the eud ; interorbital space and forehead 

 deeply concave ; hinder part of head with knob-like prominences, 

 viz. one above the ear-opening, formed by the free end of the quad- 

 rate, and five others formed by the extremities of the parietal bones ; 

 the borders and suture-; of the latter forming prominent ridges ; the 

 ends of the postfrontal bones and mandible also prominent ; ear- 

 opening large, oval, oblique. Body and limbs moderately elongate, 

 rather depressed ; digits not very broadly dilated, not very unequal, 

 with a very slight rudiment of web, which is altogether absent 

 between the two outer toes. Throat and sides of neck with a few 

 irregulai- folds ; a slight told bordering the hind limb ))osteriorly. 

 Head and body covered with subequal small granular scales, flattened 

 (m the belly, smallest on the throat. Rostral quadrangular, not 

 quite twice as broad as high, with a small notch in the middle of its 

 upper border ; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first upper 

 labial and seven small nasals, the anterior being much the largest; 

 16 to 18 upper, and J 4. or 15 lower labials; mental small, subtri- 

 augular, separating the inner labials; no. regular chin-shields, but 

 larger scales passing gradually into the granules of the throat. Tail 

 cylindrical, covereu with uniform small juxtaposed scales arranged in 

 verticils. Male with an irregular patch of very numerous pneanal 

 pores, and a sort of pouch in the integument of the thigh posteriorly, 

 near the tibia. Yellowish-grey, with darker and lighter longitudinal 



