1882.] J. Cocliburn — 0;i tJie halits of a little hnoivn Lizard. 51 



letter to Dr. Anderson, wrote, " B. ornata appears to be essentially a 

 Central Indian species. The black volcanic soil of these provinces seems 

 its peculiar habitat. I, however, once (in 1873), captured a pair on the 

 north bank of the Jumna at Allahabad near the mouth of the Sussor 

 Kuderee, Sitana is plentiful in this locality, but I never found another 

 pair of Brachysaura. It is unknown in the Duab, and the probability is 

 that these individuals were the offspring of others brought down in some 

 flood from Bundlekhand." It now appears likely that Brachysaura ornata 

 will be found in arid tracts throughout the Gangetic provinces, from the 

 confluence of the Jumna westward to the extreme limits of the Empire. 

 It would appear to range with Fsam?nophis condanurus, and Sitana minor. 

 Its southern limit beyond Saugar is yet unknown. 



There are several points in which my specimens appear to differ from 

 Dr, Stoliczka's and I have therefore described the lizard anew. 



Brachysaura ornata, Blyth, <J . A squat thick-set pot-bellied ground 

 lizard, with a large head and short tail. Scales on the upper surface of 

 body, limbs and tail strongly keeled, this character being less defined on the 

 lower surface of the abdomen and thighs. The scales of the body are in 

 nearly vertical series down the flanks, following the line of the ribs, and 

 gradually inclining upwards in the direction of the costal cartilages on 

 the ventral surface. Counted round the body at the 30th spine they are 55 

 in number in an adult. From the 1st nuchal spine to the extremity of the 

 tail are 110 scales. 



A dorsal and nuchal crest of sharp spines is present in the male sex 

 only ; the nuchal portion of this crest, composed of 9 scales, is most deve- 

 loped, there is then a hiatus of 8 strongly keeled scales, when the spines 

 again occur. They are continued in the form of a strong median series of 

 keels to the tips of the tail. 



Total length. 



Head and body. 



Tail from 





to centre of vent. 



centre of vent. 



<J 61 



H 



3f 



? 5i 



3f 



1| (Imperfect.) 



$ 



3^ 



2-42. 



The fore limb when laid backwards reaches the inguinal region, and 

 the hind limb laid forward extends to the angle of the lower jaw, all four 

 limbs are strongly keeled to the extremities of the digits. The keels 

 are very strongly marked on the scales of the tail, so much so as 

 to impart to it a polygonal appearance in its lower half. They dimi- 

 nish in a binumeral ratio from 12 in number at the basal half of the upper 

 third, to 6 at the extremity. No preanal pores have been observed. 



Head large, with a prominent and overhanging superciliary ridge 

 composed of 8 inflected scales, counted between the nostril and the posterior 



