98 F. Stoliezka — On Indian Lizards. [No: 1, 



9. H. CocTiEi* (I. B., p. 109). 



Theobald, Cat. Rept. As. Soc. Mus. 1868, p. 29. 



Steindachner, Novara Rept., Pt. I, p. 13. 



H. Bengaliensis, Anderson, Journ. A. S. B., vol. xl, p. 14. 



Tliis is the most common species all through Bengal, whence it was 

 originally described by Dum. and Bibron. The thumb is well developed, as 

 noted by the French authors and by Cantor, but the claw small, as observed 

 by Dr. G-unther, who identified JBolt. sublcevis, Gray, with the present species. 

 The back is generally equally granular ; sometimes there are a few larger 

 rounded tubercles present on the sacral region, more rarely also on the sides 

 of the back, the variations being in this respect exactly similar to those 

 noticed in H. Leschenaultil. The larger tubercle on the side of the neck, 

 stated by Dr. Anderson to distingvashBengaliensis frovnCoctceiis quite as often 

 present as it is absent. Tail, when original, segmented, with one or two 

 large elongate scale-like lateral tubercles near the base, and 2 to 3 smaller 

 ones on the upper sides, but as a rule none along the middle ; subcaudals 

 enlarged. On reproduced portions of the tail, there are sometimes a few large 

 scales present at the lateral edges, but more commonly the tail remains quite 

 smooth. I have never seen, even in the largest specimens, more than 8 

 femoral pores in each row, they being widely separated in the preanal region ; 

 the usual number of pores is six in each row, rarely less. 



During life, the general colour is greenish grey, with 5 transverse, broad 

 undulating greenish brown bands, the first on the neck, the fifth on the loin, 

 and all edged with white posteriorly ; the tail is similarly banded above, and 

 the white edgings are often more conspicuous ; a pale band through the eye 

 on the side of the head, margined with dark above and below, and generally 

 becoming obsolete on the neck. The his is reddish golden, pupil narrow, black 

 with undulating edges. The animal changes its coloration very rapidly 

 during life, sometimes the transverse bands turn almost to blackish brown, 

 and another time they become quite obsolete. In spirits the brown tints 

 partially, and in time entirely, fade. Below white, most of the scales 

 generally very minutely punctated with black. Old specimens, particularly 

 the females, have the tail at the base often very bulging, depressed, and 

 nearly three-fourths of an inch broad. 



I have not seen specimens of this species from farther southwards than 

 Orissa, but it is very numerous in Western Bengal, extending through the 

 North West Provinces up to the foot of the hills at Kangra and Hurdwar, 

 westward into the Panjab and eastward into the lower parts of Sikkim, the 

 Khasi hills, Cachar and the whole of the Gangetic delta. I did not obtain 

 it in Burma, but two specimens have been sent to me stated to have been 

 procured in Pegu. Dum. and Bibron record it from Bombay, which very 

 * ? Is the l'ight name Oocteaui ? 



