165 



Flores: Mbawa, Maumeri and Sikka, 6 sp. 

 Celebes: Makassar, 1 sp. 

 7. Ptychozoon homalocephalum Creveldt. 

 Java: Buitenzorg, 2 sp. 



Some observations may perbaps be made here on tbe eggs of tbis re- 

 raarkable animal, and witb tbe more rigbt, because I find notbing 

 in literature *) about tbe manner in wbicb tbe femaie deposits its eggs. 



I found numerous eggs on the smootb trank and brancbes of an 

 Urostigma rampbii. Tbey have a glossy grayisb-white colour, aresemi- 

 globular and are attacbed to tbe bark of tbe tree witb a flat basis. 

 Tbeir greatest diameter is 14 mm., tbeir smallest 11 mm. Always 

 two eggs are found together ; tbey toucb eacb otber witb flat surfaces. 

 Now and tben a different number of eggs are loosely united in a little 

 group, but even then we find two eggs more intimately united and 

 independent of the otbers. From this we may conclude tbat a femaie 

 always deposits two eggs at once. Dr. Bauer 's specimen (v. i.) laid 

 also only two eggs. 



Wbetber larger groups of eggs result from one and tbe same femaie, 

 tbat continues depositing eggs on tbe spot wbere it already bad laid 

 two before, or wbetber sucb a group contains the eggs of several 

 females I do not dare to assert. I observed however that the eggs 

 were in different stages of development, but this proves nothing. 

 Nevertheless I am inclined to believe that several females choose the 

 same spot for their eggs. All tbe eggs I gathered, were collected on 

 one and the same tree and notwithstanding very careful searching on 

 different Urostigma — though not U. rumphii — in the neighbourhood 

 I could not succeed in finding one Single specimen more of these easily 

 visible eggs. This makes it probable that the animals choose only this 

 tree. The very smooth bark that is peculiar to Urostigma rumphii 

 may well esplain this fact, for it will indeed prove useful in adhering 

 the eggs to it with a broad face. Tbis face of the egg is rather soft; 

 the other part of the eggshell is as hard as porcelain and will break easily. 



The size of the egg compared with the size of the animal is very 

 remarkable; but this is also the case with other Geckotidae, whose 

 eggs are also very large. 



1) The only notice I know of, is the remark of Dr. F. H. Bauer (Proe. Zool. Soc. 

 London 1886 pag. 718) about a living specimen: „It appeared to be a femaie, for only 

 a few days after its capture it laid two eggs in the box in which it was kept". 



