1895.] BATRACHIAl!fS FROM ADEX. 645 



minimize its importance and negative its value even as a specific 

 character. Moreover, it is not confined to Latastia, as it is not 

 unfrequent in Lacerta, Eremias, &c. 



The next character of Philochortus is the small size of the pre- 

 frontal suture, but this can hardly be accepted as of generic import, 

 in view of the great Aariability of this suture among individuals 

 of a species in almost every genus of the Lacertidce. 



The presence of a small partition separating the nostril from the 

 first labial is not peculiar to Philochortus, as a similar structure exists 

 in Latastia, but developed to a less extent, so that from a structural 

 point of view, in this respect, the two nostrils are generically 

 identical. 



In the former, the nostril is between two shields, but in Lacerta 

 and Eremias the nostril is formed by two and three, and by 

 three and four shields respectively, and in Latastia, as defined 

 by Mr. Boulenger, by two and three nasals, so that Philochortus is 

 embraced by it. 



In all its other details Philochortus resembles Latastia, so that 

 there are no reasons why this Aden lizard should have generic rank 

 conferred on it. 



The Lacerta spinalis, Peters \ from Abyssinia is a form closely 

 allied to Latastia neuma.nni, Matschie, with enlarged scales down 

 the middle of its back, but nearly smooth instead of being strongly 

 keeled. The two have the nuchal scales granular. 



" The only two specimens of this lizai'd in the collection were 

 taken on a camel-tract between Lahej and Shaikh Othman. It 

 occurs on the same kind of ground as Acanthodactylus bosManvs, 

 and A. cantoris." Herr Oscar Neumann's specimen, however, was 

 obtained at Lahej in very long grass, a circumstance that suggested 

 the term Philochortus to Herr Matschie. 



Since the foregoing remarks were ^^-ritten, Herr Neumann 

 has visited London, and, in order that there should be no mis- 

 understanding about the genus Philochortus, he wrote to Berlin for 

 the type, and on its arrival he placed it at my disposal for com- 

 parison with Colonel Terbury's specimens. This I have done, and 

 with the result that the opinion I have expressed above requires in 

 no way to be modified. 



In Herr Neumann's lizard the little shield between the inter- 

 parietal and the occipital is even less than in Colonel Terburv's 

 specimens. 



The tail bears the mark of a cicatrix, which fully accounts for its 

 shortness compared with the other Lahej specimens. 



9. Acanthodactylus boskianus, Daud. 

 2 d J 9 $ , 4 hgr., and 2 juv. Aden and Haithalbim. 

 These specimens belong to the coarse type of lepidosis, as is 

 proved by the number of scales around the middle of the bodv 



' Monatsb. Berl. Ac. 1874, p. 369, pi. vii. fig. 2. 



