1892.] ON REPTILES ETC. FROM NYASSALAND. 555 



3. Report on a Collection of Reptiles and Batracliians trans- 

 mitted by Mr. H. H. Johnston^ CB., from Nyassaland. 

 By Dr. A. Gunther, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. 



[Keceived Noyember 1, 1892.] 

 (Plates XXXIII.- XXXV.) 



Acting under instructions from Mr. H. H. Johnston, C.B., F.Z.S., 



Mr. Sclater has sent to the British Museum a series of specimens of 

 Reptiles and Batrachians collected by Mr. Alexander Whyte, F.Z.S., 

 the naturalist attached to Mr. Johnston's staff, in the Shire High- 

 lands south of Lake Nyassa, principally upon Mount Zomba and 

 Mount Milanji. 



Mr. Johnston has directed that the first set of these specimens, 

 after they are determined, shall be deposited in the National 

 Collection. 



The present consignment consists of 90 specimens. These are re- 

 ferable to 12 species of Lizards, viz. : Mahouia varia, Ptrs. ; 

 Mabouia quinquetceniata (Licht.) ; Sepsina tetradactyla (Ptrs.) ; 

 Agama atricollis (Smith) ; Agama ?ncssambica (Ptrs.) ; Agama 

 kirkii (Blgr.) ; Lygodactylus capensis (Smith) ; Lygodactyhis an- 

 gularis (sp. n.) ; Chamceleon dilepis (var. Ch. parvilobus, Blgr.) ; 

 Chamceleon isabellinus (sp. n.) ; Rhampholeon platyceps (sp. n.) ; 

 Wiampholeon brachyurns (sp. n.). 



Ten species of Snakes are represented, viz. : Typhlops obtusus 

 (Ptrs.) ; Urieckis capensis (Smith), probably = V. nigi-iceps (Ptrs.) ; 

 Psammophylax variabilis (sp. n.); Homalosoma lutrix (L.); Ahce- 

 tulla irregularis {liench) ; Leptodirarufescens {(jxn.); Lycophidium 

 horstockii (Schleg.) ; Boodon lineatus (D. B.) ; Causus rostratus 

 (Gthr.); Clotho arietans (Merr.). 



Five species of Batrachians are represented, viz. : Hana fascial a 

 (Tschudi) ; Hana nyassce (sp. n.); Bufo regularis (Keuss) ; Bre- 

 viceps mossambicus (Ptrs.) ; Scolecomorphus kirkii (Blgr.). 



The majority of these Reptiles and Batrachians, although pre- 

 viously known from othfr parts of Central and Eastern Africa, are 

 nevF to our knowledge of the Reptilian Fauna of the Nyassa district. 

 This knowledge is extremely scanty \ and embraces, even with the 

 aid of the present consignment, only a small fraction of the actual 

 number of species that must inhabit a district apparently so favour- 

 able to the development of Reptilian life. As we may shortly 

 expect further consignments, it would be premature to attempt a 

 comparison of this fauna with those of other parts of Tropical Africa, 

 and I proceed at once to the description of the new forms. 



Lygodactylus ANGULARis. (Plate XXXIII. fig. L) 



Head, body, and particularly the tail depressed ; snout obtusely 



^ As will appear from a perusal of three papers, two by the author in Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 18(:)4, p. 303, and in Ann. & Mag. jST. H. ser. 6. i. p. 322 (1888), and 

 one by Mr. Boulenger in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1891, p. 305. 



