1872.] F. Stoliczka — On Indian Lizards. 129 



longitudinal rows of scales, those on the vent being decidedly more trans- 

 versely elongated, than in the Himalayan form ; further in the more elongated 

 5th upper labial, few enlarged shields behind the occipitals, and by the 

 subcaudals being enlarged almost from the beginning. There is also a slight 

 difference in coloration. 



Sab. Parisnath hill in "West Bengal. The only specimen was obtained 

 near one of the Jain shrines on the top of the hill. 



Eistella, Gray. 



Aim. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. I, 1839, p. 333. 

 Cat. Lizards B. M., 1845, pp. 71 and 85. 



Body and tail elongate, subcylindrical ; limbs four, feeble, anterior with 

 4, posterior with 5 toes, thumb and inner toe shortest ; all toes provided with 

 retractile claws, lying betiveen two terminal enlarged shields ; head shields 

 regular; nostril in a single lateral shield; supranasals none; lower eyelid 

 scaly ; ear opening small ; scales of body Tceeled or nearly smooth ; gape 

 situated far backward ; palate toothless ; teeth of the jaws small, equal, 

 numerous, compressed. 



This generic character has been derived from a specimen, kindly sent to 

 me by Major Beddome ; it belongs, I believe, to a genus which was originally 

 established by Gray for a North Indian specimen, Ristella JRurJcii (1. cit. p. 

 86), but the species appears to be different; at least it is impossible to 

 identify both from the short description given of JR. BurJcii, and it is not 

 noted in Giinther's Reptiles of India. 



The 4 anterior toes and the retractile claws are important distinctions 

 of the genus which must be classed next to Seteropus. 



Eistella Travajstcorica* Beddome. 



Abeucfiosaurus Travancoricus, Beddome, Madras Journ. Med, Sc, 1870, p. 33. 



PI. iv, fig. 5, upper view of the animal, natural size ; 5a, 5b, 5c, upper, side and 

 lower views of the head, enlarged ; 5d, inner view of hand with the claws retracted, 

 5e, sole with the claws drawn out. 



Body very elongate, subcylindrical, but somewhat depressed ; muzzle short, 

 obtuse, tail considerably longer than the body and very gradually tapering. 

 Rostral convex in front, reaching to the upper surface of the head ; one large 

 prefrontal, two small posterior frontals, widely separated ; the vertical forms a 

 broad suture with anti-frontal and is posteriorly much elongate ; four or five 

 supraciliaries, slightly elevated, the first shield largest, but it is sometimes 

 divided in two, last shield smallest ; five occipitals, the two anterior and the 

 median one subequal, the posterior pan larger, and the adjoining scales are 



* B. malabaricus, {oUm), Proc. A. S. B., 1871, p. 195. — Since my description of 

 this species was drawn up, I observe that Major Beddome redescribed the species, in 

 Mad. Med. Journal for 1871, also under the name Ristella,, which name I had pointed 

 out to him. 



