70 Lacertidse. 



and sometimes also the lower of these lines are continued on the basal 

 part of the tail ; lower parts white. 



Leydig believed that the green colour does not appear until the size 

 of the lizard somewhat exceeds that of an adult L. agilis, but I have 

 seen specimens 70millim. long from snout toTent^of a uniform bright 

 green on the body and tail. As the young grows, yellowish green 

 appears on the sides of the head and body and the lower parts become 

 yellow ; small black spots may also appear on the back and the white 

 lines or spots become edged with black. It has sometimes been stated 

 that only very young males are striated, or even that these markings 

 indicate the female sex of the young ; but it is not so, and the light 

 lines, although vanishing sooner than in the females, may be preserved 

 more or less distinct in males up to a length of 106 millim. from snout 

 to vent.* On the other hand, the striation often persists throughout 

 life in females (L. hilineata, Daud.), and I will begin with a descrip- 

 tion of such specimens. 



A. The retention of the light lines is sometimes accompanied by 

 that of the brown colour. In some specimens f the ground colour is 

 entirely brown, or green on the back and brown on the sides, or the 

 back may be of a reddish brown. J A white circle is often present 

 round the tympanum. A series of black spots, or a black streak along 

 the inner side of the dorso-lateral white oi- yellowish line, or on both 

 sides of it ; the lateral line or series of spots, if present, may be also 

 edged with black. In some specimens § large round black spots are 

 present all over the bright green upper parts between the white lines, 

 and may be very crowded. The black spots unite to form a streak on 

 the upper surface of the tail, which may be edged by the prolongation 

 of the white dorso-la1«ral lines. A few white, black-edged ocellar 

 spots may be present on the limbs, and a white, black-edged streak 

 may run along the back of the thighs. The head may be uniform 

 brown or olive, with or without white lines or spots from the upper lip 

 and the superciliary border, which are continued on the body, or it 

 may be more or less spotted with black ; in one specimen || the head is 

 black above, as is frequently the case in males, with about a dozen 

 round pale green spots. 



B. The next most frequent form, affecting principally adult males, 

 but also sometimes met with in females, is the so-called var. punctata, 



* Speoimeng from Jersey, Guernsey, Turin, and Sicily. 



t From Cadillac and Bozen. 



X Half-gfrown from Castelfranco. 



§ From Jersey, Guernsey, Fontainebleau, and Biganos. 



II From Fontainebleau. 



