414 ME. G. A. BOTJLENGEE ON THE VAEIETIES OF 



procuring a second specimen from the same locality, which more nearly approaches the 

 var. bedriagce, and which shows that the L. sarcloa cannot be maintained as a species, 

 although it probably deserves to rank as a variety distinct from the var. bedriagce. 

 I have been favoured by Count Peracca with the loan of the type and of the other 

 specimen, and I have succeeded in procuring for the British Museum three further 

 specimens from Signor Meloni, who obtained them in the same locality. Particulars 

 and measurements of them are here given, for comparison with the tables of var. 



bedriagce (pp. 412-13) : — 



1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6, 7. 



^ 57 73 24 12 32 23-24 28 



? 78 68 25 12 33 25-26 31 



? 74 65 26 13 34 25-26 28 



? (type) 70 72 26 13 35 25-24 29 



? 58 76 25 13 30 24-25 28 



Measurements : — 



?• 



6. , ^ , 



From end of snout to vent 57 7S 74 70 58 



,. • „ fore limb .... 23 32 29 31 24 



Length of head . . . ■ 15 19 17 19 15 



Width of head 9 11 10 11 9 



Depth of head 6 8 8 8 5 



Fore limb 22 26 26 26 21 



Hind limb 33 39 37 40 32 



Foot 17 20 19 20 17 



Tail 97 ? 110 128 ? 



In all the specimens the rostral shield forms a suture with the frontonasal, the 

 postnasal is single, the series of granules between the supraoculars and the 

 supraciliaries is complete, the parietal is in contact with the upper postocular, 

 the masseteric shield is very small or absent, the anterior upper labials are four 

 in number, and the whorls of caudal scales are very markedly shorter and longer 

 alternately. The parietals may be only once and two-thirds as long as broad. As 

 pointed out by Peracca in his excellent description, there are a few extra femoral 

 pores, forming an incomplete second series, in the type specimen. 



The coloration of the type specimen has been described with sufficient detail 

 by Peracca. His second specimen, smaller but also a female, differs in having 

 the light dorsal spots larger and fewer and surrounded by a blackish network, 

 much as in many specimens of the var. bedriagce ; dark markings are very indistinct 

 on the olive-brown upper surface of the head, and the belly is uniform greyish, 

 unspotted. In two of the specimens received from Signor Meloni, the light 

 spots on the body ar.d limbs are surrounded by black rings forming ocelli, between 



