132 



REPTILES COLLECTED IN CHITRAL. 

 By 



Major F. Wall, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. 



Whilst stationed in Chitral in 1910, I managed to secure a good 

 representative collection of the snakes of that State, and several 

 lizards and batrachians. The region is by no means rich in 

 species, bnt what there are are very abundant for the most part. 



EEPTILIA. 



Sqtjamata. 

 Lacertilia. 



Without making any special search for lizards, I managed to collect a 

 few species. 



Gymnodactylus stoliczkoe (Steindachner). 



This was by no means uncommon. I encountered it several times in the 

 Fort at Drosh, among old packing cases or rubbish by day, and in the 

 open after nightfall. Two fell into my basin at dift'erent times, and I 

 came across others on the verandah floors when returning to my quarters 

 at night. -It is fairly agile. 



Calotes versicolor (Daudin). 



Rather uncommon. I savv but a few specimens at low elevations (4,000 

 to 5,000 feet). I noticed that the gular scales were distinctly keeled and 

 that there was an oblique fold in front of the shoulder, though Boulenger 

 (Faun. Brit. Ind., 1890, p. 136) says the gular scales are smooth or feebly 

 keeled, and there is no fold in front of the shoulder. Chitral appears to be 

 about the most northern limit from which this species has been recorded. 



Agama tuberculata (Gray). 



At an altitude of from 5,000 to 10,000 feet, this is as common in Chitral 

 as it is in the Western Himalyas (Mussoorie, Almora). I found it up to 

 about 12,000 feet. 



Agama Jiimalayana (Steindachner). 



This was a very common lizard about Madaglasht, and I found it up to 

 11,000 feet or more. Like the last it lives among rocks coming out to 

 bask in the sun, and scuttles into any cranny when disturbed. It is 

 remarkable how it manages to capture butterflies as wary as the common 

 ■p&intQ^ Y&Aj {Vanessa cardui). On several occasions I found it devouring 

 this species. Boulenger does not remark upon the peculiar and attractive 

 colouration of the head, which is a rather bright yellow, and there is a 

 large and conspicuously bright orange patch on each temporal region. 



