28 MB. W, THEOBALD, JUN., ON THE 



Family Q^GKOTIBM. 

 Section a. Fingers and thumbs clawless. 

 Phelsuma, 6rai/. 

 P. ANDAMANENSE, Blytt, J. A. S. xxix. p. 108. 

 Colour bright emerald-green, bluish on tail. Tongue red. 

 Pupil round. 



a. Adult male. Body .... 2-10 



Tail . . . , 2-70=4-80. 



This very anomalous Geckoid lizard is common at the Anda- 

 mans, and, according to Colonel Tytler, of diurnal habits, freely 

 enduring the noonday sun ; its habits, however, require to be more 

 fully studied. 



Section b. Thumbs clawless. 

 Gecko, Grai/. 



• G. GUTTATUS, Daud. 



Colour pale grey, slaty over the head, with four or five trans- 

 verse bands of white spots across the body. Body and limbs red- 

 spotted. Belly white, red-spotted. Twelve lougitudinal rows of 

 large tubercles down the back, of a red colour, save wliere the tu- 

 bercle emanates from a white spot, when the tubercle is white 

 also. 



This animal, the " Touk-te " of the Birmese, is very common 

 in houses, and, in thinly inhabited parts, in trees. Its extremely 

 sonorous cry is one of the first things which startles tlie visitor, 

 and, when it echoes through the wooden roof, on a still night, is 

 really calculated to alarm the timid. The eggs are spherical, 

 thougli not (piite regular in sliape, and very strong, and ceinontcd 

 six or eight togetiier, in hollow trees or tlio intei'ior of buiidiugs. 

 The natives dread the animal somewhat, which when seized opens 

 its mouth to its full extent and looks very savage and bites ver}' 

 sharply, but is of course quite unaggressive, and even useful in 

 destroying vermin, devouring even young rats, as I am credibly 

 informed. 



Giiuther says this is "the most common species in Bi-itish 

 India^' ; but it is unknown in India; and Birma can no more be 

 termed " India " than Aden or Hongkong. A few specimens have 



