1872.] F. Stoliczka — On Indian Lizards. 89 



\ Ophiops Jekdoni, Blyth. 

 Blyth in Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 1853, vol. xxii, p. 653. — Giinther I. R., p. 72. 

 Tropidosaivra Jerdoiii apud Theobald, Cat. Rept. Asiat Soc, 1868, p. 22. 

 PseudojpMops Jerdoni et Theobaldi* Jerdon in Proc. A. S. B., Feb. 1870, p. 71 &c. 



I have lately received from the neighbourhood of Agra and the country 

 northwards, towards Ambala, about 20 specimens of the form describ- 

 ed by Jerdon as Pseudophiops Theobaldi. The characters given as distinc- 

 tive from the only type of Ophiops Jerdoni are not constant ; therefore, 

 O. Theobaldi must be considered as identical with Jerdoni, as has already 

 been suggested by Major Beddome (Madras J. Med. Sc, for 1870). More- 

 over, the genus Pseudophiops proves to be perfectly identical with Ophiops, 

 Already in the somewhat injured type of Ophiops Jerdoni in the Museum 

 there is on one side a distinct groove seen to proceed from behind the nostril 

 and dividing the nasal. In one of Jerdon' s specimens of Theobaldi, present- 

 ed to the Indian Museum, the nasal is, as far as it can be traced, in one shield, 

 but in the other it is distinctly between two shields, followed by two post- 

 nasals, which is also the usual number in the type of the genus, Ophiops 

 elegans, while three postnasals are evidently of much rarer occurrence. In 

 nearly all the specimens which I lately received, the nasal is exactly as in 

 O. elegans, between two shields, only few have them anteriorly, and others 

 also posteriorly, entire ; therefore the name Pseudophiops must be cancelled. 



As regards the species, O. Jerdoni, I have to record the following 

 variations. As a rule there is one frontal ; in one specimen this is obliquely 

 divided into two unequal shields, and in two specimens it is divided regularly 

 along the middle into two halves. The posterior frontals are sometimes in 

 contact with each other, or they are divided by one elongated, linear shield, 

 or by two smaller ones following each other. Each posterior frontal is 

 behind separated from the respective supraorbital by a small shield, but 

 occasionally the latter is united with the frontal. The elongated vertical, 

 the two large supraorbitals, the pair of anterior occipitals forming a suture, 

 and the larger posterior occipitals separated by two unequal shields, following 

 each other, are persistent in all. There are 8 upper and 7 lower labials, the 

 last in each case smallest, and there are 5 or 6 pairs of chin-shields, the last 

 generally followed by two smaller shields. In one specimen the two, rather 

 larger, anterior pairs are in contact, in others, three anterior pahs form a 

 suture. The number of scales round the body is generally 30, sometimes 32, 

 very rarely 34, of these the 6 ventral longitudinal rows are enlarged and 

 smooth, as are also one or two adjoining rows on either side, while all the 

 other scales are very sharply keeled. The fore-leg, when laid forward, very 



* Beddome notes the M. S. name Civittata, which was evidently suppressed by 

 Dr. Jerdon himself. Comp. Beddome in Mad. Jour. Med. Sc. for 1870. 

 12 



