958 RIK. A. LOVEUIDGE : KOTES ON 



Mabuia varia Peters. 



Blgr. Gat. Liz. iii. 1887, p. 202. 



Uabitia isselii (Peters), Blgr. Cat. Liz. iii. 1887, p. 201. 

 . Mahuia hiidehrandiii (Peters), Blgr. Cat. Liz. iii. l887, p. 207. 



Forty-three apeciuieiis from Mt. Kenya, Mbala, Mtali'a, aiul 

 Shnnwa. Also seen at Kidai, Kidete, Kidenge, Itende, NdogAve,, 

 and Sagayo. It is almost invariably found in association with 

 rocks, tliough occasionally seen on, or beneath, logs and stones. 



This laige series was collected in the hope of throwing light 

 on the re]ationshi[)S of varia, isselii, and hildeln-andtii. I may 

 be consideied rash in adding the latter to the already long 

 list of synonyms of 31. varia. Tornier has indeed made isselii a 

 synonym of va^ia in recording a specimen from this region ; 

 pi-actically isselii's only point of diilcrencie from xxiria is in its 

 possession of a single frontopai-ietal caused by the fusion of the 

 frontoparietals. 'I'lierc is only one such specimen in the series — 

 an adult male from Mbala, wlieie it was taken near typical varia, 

 and what may be considered hildeJnandiii. It has 34 scale-rows. 

 The reason for isselii only having 30 is due to the fact that so 

 few specimens have been collected tliat the range is not so well 

 known as in vavia and hiidehrandiii, in both of which it is 30-34. 



Perhaps the feature distinguishing hildehraiultii from raria 

 more than any other is that " the hind-limb reaches the axilla or 

 the shoulder of the fore-limb.'' 



In one Mtali $ the hind-limb extends consideiably beyond 

 the axilla, in a S from Gwao's and a $ from Mbala the axilla 

 is just reached, in a J from Mbala and man}'^ others it just falls 

 short ; and the variability of this feature, as shown by the series 

 now before me, demonstrates there is no taxonomic value to be 

 placed on this character. The amount of contact between the 

 anterior loreal and first labial also varies greatly. 



The MbaLi specimens ha,ve 34 .scale-rows at mid-body. 



If isselii and liildehraiidtii are to be united with varia, the 

 description of varia Avould have to be enlarged in some respects, 

 and would then read : — 



Anterior loreal tisiudly [rarely not) in contact v:iih the 1st labial. 

 Frontonasal broader or as broad .as long. Frontonasal usuallij 

 (sometimes not) in contact with frontal. Frontal a little shorter or 

 as long as the froatoita,rietals and interparietal together, in contact 

 with 2nd and 3vyZ [rarely Is/.) supraoculars. Frontoparietals 

 distinct or occasionally fused,. Parietals visually nieeting behind 

 the interparietal, though sometimes widely sejjarated. Sabocular 

 feebly or strongly nai^roioed inferioiiy. Far-opening tcith 2-5 

 lolndes anteriorly, either short-pointed or long lanceolate. 30-36 

 scales round mid-body, llind-lvmb reaching to the torist or shoidder 

 (or beyond) of the addressed fore-limb . Subdigit<d lamelhe sharply 

 tricar i'i Late, occasionally unicarinaie. 



For the convenience of anyone interested in the alleged 

 distinctive characters of the three forms, I have isolated those 

 characteis where all three are not in agreement, and pi-esent 

 them in tabular form : — 



