Lacerta. 69 



the fourth series, if present, always small. Preanal plate large, 

 bordered by two, exceptionally by one,* semicircles of smaller plates, 

 6 to 10 of which form the inner semicircle, the median pair sometimes 

 enlarged, or fused to one. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia as large as or smaller than dorsals,, 

 teeled. 13 to 21 femoral pores on each side.f 21 to al lamellar 

 scales under the fourth toe, usually 22 to 26. 



Caudal scales forming whorls of equal or nearly equal length, the 

 upper with strong straight keel, ending in a point which, exceptionally,! 

 may be very obtuse ; the keel less strong and more diagonal on the 

 lateral scales ; lower scales rounded or obtusely acuminate behind, 

 feebly keeled, those at the base usually smooth ; 30 to 40 scales in 

 the fourth or fifth whorl behind the postanal granules. 



On comparing the following tables of numerical variations, it will 

 be noticed that, on an average, the specimens from Trance and the 

 Channel Islands as well as from North-Western Italy differ from 

 the rest by a combination of characters — trifling, it is true, but not 

 without interest : total absence or great reduction in the number of 

 granules between the supraoculars and superciliaries, frequent absence 

 or reduction of the anterior loreal, somewhat lower number of scales 

 across the body (usually 42 to 47 instead of 44 to 60) and of femoral 

 pores (usually 14 to 17 instead of 16 to 19).' 



In describing the coloration I will first deal exclusively with 

 specimens from Central Europe and Italy, and afterwards allude 

 to the somewhat differently coloured lizards of South-Eastern Europe 

 and South -Western Asia, which have been described by Bedriaga as 

 var. vaillanti. 



Although, as its name implies, the green colour is one of the 

 features of this species, there are frequent exceptions. 



The young at birth is brown or greyish brown, uniform or with two 

 or three lateral series of round white or yellowish spots, or with a 

 white or yellowish dorso-lateral streak, and, lower down, a second 

 streak or a series of spots extending from the upper lip, through the 

 lower part of the tympanum, to the base of the hind limb ; the upper, 



* Females from Taldeblore, Ostia, Forte Eatti, and Prague. 



t 13-20, usually 14-18, in French and Italian specimens, 16-21 in Sicilian, 

 according to Boettger, 15-20 in Avistrian and Oriental. Eollinat (I.e., 

 p. 1.5) has stated that, in French specimens, there are often more pores under 

 the left thigh than under the right. In 56 specimens in which the numbers 

 are different for the two sides I find the higher number 28 times on the right 

 and 28 times on the left. In 64 specimens of the typical form of L. agilis, the 

 higher number occurs 30 times on the right side and 34 times on the left. 



I Especially in the anterior third of the tail. 



