108 Annals of the South African Musemn. 



W. Clark, a farmer in the district. Mr. J. E. Ward, who forwarded 

 the specimens to us, writes that they were found about four miles 

 east of Eichmond "under stones fallen from the sides of a little 

 gorge, down which a very small stream trickles in dry weather and 

 runs in wet weather." There was no timber in the gorge, which 

 descends very rapidly to the smalV river Illovo. It is interesting 

 to note that some young were born in the latter half of September,''' 

 and that the specimens were found at a very dry time of the year. 

 Mr. Ward informs me that the rainfall at Eichmond during the three 

 previous months (June, July, and August, 1899) was respectively 

 •17, -11, and -29 inches. 



These specimens were in excellent condition and were the first I 

 had an opportunity of examining alive. They entirely agree in 

 structure with the specimens from Dunbrody, and their unexpected 

 appearance in Natal indicates a wider range for this species than is 

 at present known for any other South African forms. 



The colouration in the living specimens resembles that of the 

 darker specimens from Dunbrody, except that the ground colour of 

 the under surface is brownish pink, while that of the upper surface 

 is blackish rather than green. In some of the specimens the skin 

 between the papillge on the head is conspicuously orange-yellow 

 (not brick-red). The alternating bands on the under side of the legs 

 are indistinct, but the superior lateral dark stripes on the body are 

 present as in P. balfouri. After being some time in spirits, the pink 

 of the under surface disappears, and the black of the dorso-lateral 

 surfaces often become distinctly greenish. Such specimens then 

 resemble the spirit specimens from Dunbrody. 



When the live animal is disturbed it coils itself up like P. balfouri 

 and leonina with the ventral surface inwards, and will remain in this 

 position for some time, especially if further molested (one remained 

 thus for over five minutes). When coiled up the dorsal skin is 

 often strongly constricted at regular intervals, which alternate in 

 position with the pairs of legs and give the animals an annulated 

 appearance. This is also the case in P. balfouri and leonina. 



The males were much smaller and less numerous than the females 

 in both collections. The length and width of a male in spirits and 

 somewhat contracted (from Dunbrody) was 13 mm, x 2*2 mm. ; of 

 a male from Eichmond, drowned in water and therefore abnormally 



well as on account of the blackish-grey colour and the more regular arrangement 

 of the rows of papillae, he makes a new var. natalensis for these Natal specimens. 

 This variety, as based on Bouvier's characters, does not, however, hold good. 

 * The young of P. moscleyi from Richmond are born in April. 



