402 MR. G. A. BOTJLENGER ON" THE VARIETIES OP 



Lacerta muralis, \ax. filfolensis Eimer, Arch. f. Nat. 1881, p. 408, pi. xv. fig. 24; Bedriaga, Abh. 



Senck. Ges. xiv. 1886, p. 218. 

 Podarcis muralis, var. filfolensis De Betta, A.tti 1st. Ven. (5) v. 1879, p. 392. 



Giinther had only two specimens of the Filfola lizard before him when he published 

 his remarks on Zootoca lilfordi, and both Bedriaga and Eimer do not appear to have 

 had access to any very large material when writing their descriptions. The figures 

 accompanying Braun's remarks were taken from one of Giinther's specimens in the 

 British Museum, but are very inaccurate, as the author himself suspected. A few years 

 ago, my friend Mr. Norman Douglass visited the Filfola Rock, and collected a good 

 number of specimens, which he has kindly presented to the British Museum. The 

 following description is based on 15 specimens, measuring from 56 to 82 millimetres 

 from snout to vent. Eimer's largest specimen (male) measured 90 millimetres without 

 the tail. 



The depth of the head (PI. XXVIII. fig. 5) equals the distance between the centre or 

 the anterior border of the eye and the tympanum ; its width is once and a half to once 

 and three-fifths in its length. The hind limb reaches the shoulder, the collar, or a little 

 beyond in males, the elbow of the adpressed fore limb, the axil, or the shoulder in 

 females ; the foot measures once and one-fourth to once and a half the length of the head. 



Except in two specimens, the rostral shield does not enter the nostril ; the nasals 

 form a suture behind the rostral ; the frontal is as long as or considerably shorter than 

 its distance from the end of the snout ; a series of granules between the supraciliaries 

 and the two principal supraoculars, this series complete in five specimens, whilst in nine 

 the first supraciliary is in contact with the second supraocular, and the second 

 supraciliary also in one specimen ; parietal once and one-third to once and two-thirds 

 as long as broad, in contact with the upper postocular, except in one specimen ; 

 occipital very variable in size, as long as or shorter than the interparietal, sometimes 

 wider than the latter ; supratemporal narrow or broken up ; temporal scales small, but 

 much larger than the dorsals; tympanic shield distinct; masseteric shield usually well 

 developed ; four upper labials anterior to the subocular. 



Collar even-edged ; gular fold distinct. 



Dorsal scales granular-subhexagonal, feebly or faintly keeled; 68 to 82 scales across 

 the middle of the body ; 4 and 5 correspond to one ventral plate, 43 to 62 to the length 

 of the head ; ventral plates in 6 longitudinal and 26 to 31 transverse series. Anal 

 plate rather large, bordered by one or two semicircles of small plates. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia smaller than dorsals ; 18 to 27 femoral pores on each 

 side; 31 to 36 lamellar scales under the fourth toe. 



Upper caudal scales strongly keeled, truncate ; 34 to 42 scales in the fourth whorl 

 behind the postanal granules. 



Eimer desciibes the colour of the living male lizard as intensely black above, with 

 small roundish spots or dots which are greenish yellow on the middle of the back, more 



