( 64 ) 



Stoliczka says the transparent disk occurs in young specimens 

 only, becoming opaque with age. Specimens rarely exceed four 

 and a half inches, and Jerdon's remark that it grows to nine inches, 

 applies to a very unusual example, of the Karnatic race. - 



R. punctata L. 



Closely allied to the last, but grows to a much greater size. 

 Scales in 24 longitudinal, and between limbs in from 78 — 84 trans- 

 verse rows. Colour brown on back and sides, below whitish. 

 AH the scales black-dotted. Sides white-spotted. 



Length, body 500; tail 7"0 = 12 inches. 



Inhabits Southern India, Malabar, Koromandel, the Dekkan 

 Madras, and Ceylon. 



Stoliczka obtained near Mathuran (Bombay) a curious race in 

 which the characters of this species and Hardwiohii were blend- 

 ed, and not improbably the same as the giant Hardwicldi noted 

 by Jerdon from the Karnatic. The longest specimen of eight 

 measured body 3-25; tail 3-25 = 7'50 inches. Scales in 26 

 longitudinal rows as in HardwicJcii, and in 74 — 80 transverse 

 rows, which nearly correspond with punctata. The colouration 

 was that of Hardwickii, and the conclusion that seems inevitable 

 is, that Hardwickii is the same as punctata, the former being 

 a smaller and widely-spread race, whilst the latter is a giant race 

 attaining its maximum development in the hill ranges of Western 

 India. The enormous difference in the ordinary size of 

 Euprepes cannatus in India, where it rarely exceeds 11 inches, 

 and the Andaman race of 20 inches is a parallel case of excessive 

 variation in the same family. 



R. anguina, Theobald. Lin. Soc. Jour. x. 

 The anterior pair of occipitals equal to or but slightly larger 

 than the median occipital shield. Posterior occipitals elongate, 

 each being anteriorly in contact with the last superciliary and 

 the small shield following it. Scales in 22 longitudinal, and 

 between limbs in 65 — 70 transverse rows. Limbs very short, 

 stoutish. The fore limb does not reach the ear. The hind limb 

 as long as from ear to snout. Colour uniform brown, above, 



