LAGEETA MTJEALIS IN WESTEEN EUEOPE AND NOETH AFEICA. 379 



University, and among them I was much surprised to find six examples, in one 

 bottle labelled " Podarcis muralis, var. Uneata, Betta. — Napolitano, dono del Direttore, 

 A. Costa, 1889," which belong to an undescribed variety, just distinguishable from 

 the typical form and in many respects approaching L. vivipara. Had there been but 

 one specimen, and had it come from a district where L. muralis and L. vivipara 

 co-exist, I should have regarded this form as probably a hybrid between the two 

 species. But there are six specimens, and it is not known where they come from ; 

 fori can hardly believe the indication " Napolitano " to be correct, and Prof. Monticelli, 

 who has searched the registers of his Museum, informs me the locality whence they 

 were procured has not been noted, and he cannot answer for the correctness of the 

 habitat. I am therefore inclined to think they come from some part of Northern 

 Italy, as they show a strong general resemblance to the typical form, and I consider it 

 necessary to establish for them a distinct variety, under the suggestive name of 

 ireviceps. 



In shape, the head (PI. XXV. figs. 16 & 17) resembles that of L. vivipara ; it is small 

 and convex, once and one-third to once and two-fifths as long as broad, and its depth 

 equals the distance between the anterior border of the eye and the anterior border of 

 the tympanum ; the snout is obtusely pointed. The neck is as broad as the head, or 

 a little narrower. Body rather strongly depressed. Hind limb, in the males, reaching 

 the axil or the shoulder ; in the females, the elbow of the adpressecl fore limb ; foot 

 a little longer than the head. 



Head-shields as in the typical form, but frontal rather broader ; nasal forming a 

 short suture with its fellow, and, in two specimens, in contact on one side with the 

 anterior loreal ; granules between the supraciliaries and the supraoculars reduced to 

 3 to 10 ; parietals as long as broad or but slightly longer ; occipital smaller than the 

 interparietal, entirely absent in one specimen ; temporal scales usually larger than 

 in the typical form, the masseteric plate distinct and in contact with the upper 

 temporal or separated from it by one series of scales; four upper labials anterior to 

 the subocular. 



Gular scales rather large (20 to 25 in a longitudinal series) ; gular fold rather 

 feebly marked. Collar very feebly denticulate, with 8 to 10 plates. 



Scales on body (PI. XXV. fig. 18) rhomboidal or distinctly hexagonal, and more 

 strongly keeled than usual in the typical form, 46 to 55 across the middle of the 

 body; 3, or 2 and 3, transverse series correspond to one ventral plate, 24 to 36 to the 

 length of the head. Ventral plates in 6 longitudinal and 23 to 28 transverse series. 



Prseanal plate large, bordered by one semicircle of small plates. Scales on the upper 

 surface of the tibia keeled and much smaller than the dorsals. 22 to 24 lamellar scales 

 under the fourth toe. 14 to 16 femoral pores on each side. 



Upper caudal scales strongly keeled and more or less distinctly pointed behind, 

 sometimes nearly as much as in L. vioijpara. 



