VAEIETIES OF THE WALL-LIZAED. 



175 



My reasons for dissenting from both these views are derived from the study of the 

 scaling, to vs'hich previous autliors had not paid sufficient attention when making their 

 comparisons. 



In describing this lizard, Braun had correctly mentioned and figured the larger scales, 

 as compared with the var. serpa, and it will be seen by a glance at the tabulation that 

 follows, to what extent it is so, the number of scales across the body being 50 to 64 

 (usually less than 60) in the Melisello lizard, and 62 to 75 in the var. serpa from 

 the East Coast and islands of the Adriatic. The number of dorsal scales would be in 

 favour of a derivation from the typical L. murcchs, hut against this we have the greater 

 number of subdigital lamellue under the fourth toe (25 to 30, usually 28). In these 

 numbers, however, we have so complete an agreement with the form described as 

 var. lissana (Sc. 51-54, lam. 27-31, usually 28), that, when I became acquainted with 

 it, I at once felt convinced as to the identity of the two forms, which had already been 

 pointed out by Scherer in 1904. All doubts as to the derivation of the var. meli- 

 sellensis from the yar. ^.umana are removed by an examination of the lizards named 

 var. lissana, which furnish the missing link. 



In the following table particulars are given of the 19 specimens from Melisello 

 examined by me. The first two specimens, for which I am indebted to the kindness 

 of Dr. Steindachner, form part of the series out of which Prof. Braun's original types 

 were obtained. The last eight belong to Dr. Werner's Collection. 



These first two specimens appear also in the first two columns of the table of 

 measurements. 



VOL. XX. — PART III. No. 6. 



2b 



