i50 Transactions. — Zoology. 



regularly placed, having lighter scales in the anterior angles ; a dark line 

 from the lower angle of eye to that of mouth, and another from the upper 

 angle of eye to over the ear ; a narrow dark transverse band from eye to eye 

 in front, and a cross dark band (St. Andrew's Cross) on vertex ; below of a 

 light-greyish colour with small dark spots. 



Vertex depressed ; eyebrows very prominent (porrected) with 2-3 rows 

 of dark pointed scales, upper row black : snout very obtuse ; on both upper 

 and lower lips, 11 large greyish scales on each side of the rostral ones which 

 are much larger, but the upper rostral is larger than that of the chin, and 

 extends to the nostrils ; two large scales immediately above the upper rostral 

 one, and four similar scales around each nostril ; nostrils circular ; aural 

 apertures oblong, large. A number of small pointed simple glassy teeth in 

 both jaws; tongue roundly-spathulate, very long and extensible, thin, deeply 

 emarginate, red ; the palate salmon-colour. Body narrow and round, back 

 arched, not broad and flat as in N. facificus. Toes all regularly barred with 

 blackish lines ; the fourth toe is the longest on each foot, and at a great dis- 

 tance from the fifth one on the hind feet, the soles also of the hind pair are 

 large and flat. Its tail is very prehensile, so that it can curl its tip around 

 a lead pencil, or a quill, and swing thereby ; it can also hang by a single toe- 

 nail (which are exceedingly sharp pointed and curved) and so remain for a 

 short time ; it also leaps well and fearlessly from a height of 2-3 feet. 

 Length — head and body, 4 inches ; tail, 4^- inches = 8^- inches. 



Hah. In forests near Norsewood, County of Waipawa ; 1883 : W.C. 

 Also at Glenross, County of Hawke's Bay ; 1884 : Mr. D. P. Balfour. 



Obs. I obtained two fine living specimens of this lizard last summer 

 while in those woods ; and one since, a smaller one, also living, from Mr. 

 Balfour ; this last is still living, although it has not eaten anything since I 

 received it nearly six weeks back. It has only taken at intervals of several 

 days a very little water, and this when I put it into a wash-hand basin to 

 take a swim ; when, on taking it out, it invariably licks up a few drops. 

 Hitherto it has refused flies, as food, which my other lizards always 

 greedily ate ; and I have supposed such might be owing to its hybernating 

 season not being over. It is exceedingly quiet, and rarely moves about. 

 Their peculiar and regular double VV dark and variegated bands are the 

 same in all three specimens ; but it is not from that fact that it derives its 

 trivial name, but from a much more strange one (though not wholly unknown 

 to the family), viz., it often changes its ground-colour of grey to a pink-red, 

 and this it does sometimes three or four times in a day ; the cause, however, 

 of its doing so is wholly unknown to me. I have often tried, by altering its 

 position as to light, and to heat (sun), and also by giving it a little gentle 

 shaking (in its glass house I) if I could cau&e it to change its colour, but I 



