Lacerta. 71 



Solireib.,* in which the head and body are closely speckled black and 

 green, or, on a black f or dark green ground, profusely dotted with 

 yellow (var. istriensis, Werner) ; the dots are, however, larger and less 

 densely distributed on the head, and they originate independently; only 

 exceptionally are they very crowded. This pattern is evolved out of a 

 crowding of small black spots, which break up, or which run together 

 into marblings until the black forms the ground colour ; we can some- 

 times follow the absorption of the white longitudinal lines or spots in 

 the process of its formation (Seps varius, Laur.), which does not attain 

 perfection in males until they reach a length of at least 90 millim. from 

 snout to vent, and I have not observed it in females under 105. 



c. Another form of common occurrence is green above, uniform 

 (L. viridis, s. str., var. concolor, De Betta), or with scattered black dots 

 or small spots (var. maculata, De Betta). 



The three above categories are completely linked by intermediates. 

 The following are the two most striking individual variations observed 

 by me : 



D. Male from. Verona, approaching the typical coloration of the 

 var. major. The scales are green, surrounded by a black interstitial 

 skin, and each bears a black spot covering one third to two thirds of 

 its surface ; the head is dark olive above and on the sides, with 

 numerous pale green dots and vermicular markings ; the front of the 

 limbs and the two outer ventral plates on each side (these plates are 

 in 8 series) bear black vermiculations. 



B. Female from Verona. Green above with yellowish white dots, 

 some of which are clustered together in groups bordered with black, to 

 form, in addition to vestiges of the two dorso-lateral streaks, irregular 

 wavy longitudinal lines and ocellar spots ; head dark olive above, with 

 a few large, round, black-edged yellowish spots. 



In green specimens the upper surface of the head, limbs and tail 

 may be green also, but it is more frequently olive or brown. 



In all these variations the sides of the head and the throat are 

 usually of a more or less intense blue in the male during the breeding 

 season {L. cyanolsemus, Q-liicksel.), sometimes also in the female ; later 

 in the year the blue becomes paler, or turns to lilac or greenish, or 

 entirely vanishes. The lower parts are uniform bright yellow or 

 greenish yellow.J often with the exception of the ventral plates of the 



* This and other names proposed in French by Dugfes have been translated 

 into Latin by Schreiber, whose references are bibliographioally incorrect. 



t In a male from Valdeblore the head, body and limbs are black with yellow 

 dots, but the anterior half of the tail is green with black dots. 



X The " var. i ventre roux " from Italy, mentioned by A. Dumeril, Arch. 

 Mns. X, 1861, p. 436, is probably based on a L. muralis, var. campestris. 



