VAEIETIES OF THE WALL-LIZAED. 



137 



and confined myself to statements of facts. Such statements, presented in an unbiassed 

 spirit, are, I believe, what are most needed at the present moment. Although to 

 a great extent destructive from a taxonomic standpoint, I do not think the labour 

 bestowed on such an investigation has been wasted, as the checking on a laro-e 



Text-fiff. 1. 



A B C 



A. Lacerta fiumana ; B and C. L. iedriagce : after Mehely.' 



material of several characters, to which undue importance has recently been ascribed, 

 results in a much more precise knowledge of the individual variations and local varieties 

 than we would otherwise acquire of such a widely distributed and polymorphic species 

 as Lacerta muralis. I therefore believe that the controversy which has been going on, 

 and which will probably continue for some time, between Prof. Mehely and myself, 

 is not only to the advantage of systematic herpetology, but constitutes a useful contri- 

 bution towards the solution of the problem of species. 



This paper was read before the Zoological Society on May 21, 1912, but as several 

 months have elapsed between that date and that of setting up in type a few additions 

 to the MS. have been made in the meantime (Sept. 10, 1912). 



A list of the specimens preserved in the British Museum collection is appended 

 (pp. 206-214). 



I.— CENTRAL EUROPE (Supplement). 

 Forma typica. 



The species Lacerta muralis was first described by Laurenti from the neighbourhood 

 of Vienna. In my preceding contribution, 1 mentioned two specimens as topotypes 

 from that part of Austria, and pointed out that one is highly aberrant in several 

 respects, — larger scales, absence of the anterior supraocular, and abnormal division 

 of the parietal shields by a transverse cleft (see Tr. 1905, pi. xxv. fig. 4). Having 

 since inquired from Dr. "Werner as to whether he had other examples from the same 

 locality (Voslau, near Baden, Lower Austria), I was greatly surprised to hear that 

 an examination of his material had satisfied him that this division of the parietal 

 shields, instead of being anomalous or accidental, is the rule in Lower Austria. 



u2 



