18/6.] MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON INDIAN REPTILES. 637 



another similar pair which I had kept myself; and I agree with Dr. 

 Stoliczka in considering it a distinct species. The two males have, 

 one 18, the other 19 femoral pores in each thigh. In the two spe- 

 cimens retained as types of the species in the Indian Museum the 

 basal portion of the tail appears not to have been renewed, and it is 

 distinctly and regularly ringed. In one specimen especially, three 

 rings remain which show no signs of ever having been renewed (the 

 terminal portion of the tail is palpably a regrowtli). In the other 

 there are eight rings preserved at the base of the tail, but they are 

 not so clearly of original growth. In neither of these specimens are 

 there any enlarged tubercles on the tail. 



Dr. Stoliczka, who examined large numbers of specimens, never 

 found more than eight femoral pores in each thigh in H. coctcei. In 

 the Museum-specimens, which, however, are not numerous, I find 

 five or six, whilst there is always an enlarged tubercle on each side 

 of the tail on the posterior portion of each ring. The only speci- 

 mens of this species I can find in the Museum are from Calcutta 

 and Allahabad : they are labelled H. bengaliensis, Anderson. If 

 Dr. Giinther has specimens from other localities with more numerous 

 femoral pores, it is to be hoped he will publish the fact. 



So far as I can judge, H. giyanteits comes nearer to H. leschenaulti 

 than to //. coctcei. The former, as a rule, is distinguished by having 

 tubercles on the back ; but this is not always the case. 



Nor can I agree in identifying Hemidactylus berdmorei (Leiui-us 

 berdmorei, Blyth ; Doryurd berdmorei, Theobald) with the young of 

 II. coctcei. Blyth's type specimen is in the Museum here ; and on com- 

 paring it with a specimen of 77. coctcei of the same size, I find that the 

 tail of II. berdmorei, which does not appear to have been reproduced, 

 is epiite smooth ; whilst in that of II. coctcei the tubercles at the side, 

 although small, are distinctly seen. The scales of the abdomen are 

 a little larger in H. berdmorei ; but the most characteristic distinction 

 of the latter is in its very much smaller feet and toes, the latter being 

 but little more than half the size of those of H. coctcei. The plates 

 beneath the toes appear more numerous and broader in //. coctcei; 

 but the type of H. berdmorei is not in good condition, and it is diifi- 

 cult to examine it closely. Lastly, Dr. Stoliczka has pointed out that 

 in D. berdmorei there are from fourteen to sixteen pores in each thigh, 

 whilst, as already mentioned, he never found more than eight in II. 

 coctcei. It is true that the nuaiber of femoral pores varies in indi- 

 viduals with all Lizards ; but still the amount of variation, so far as 

 my experience goes, keeps within limits ; and I think the distinction, 

 that one species has habitually six to eight pores in each thigh, and 

 another fourteen to sixteen, is probably sufficient to show that they 

 are different forms. 



I cannot find Dr. Stoliczka's specimens of Hemidactylus berd- 

 morei : they do not appear to be in the Museum here. 



Calcutta, May 12, 1*7<"> 



Proc. Zool. Soc— -187b, No. XLII. -42 



