Lacerta. 159 



would be derived from the var. ionica, in wticli it is sometimes present. 

 As I have observed above, the brown colour is more primitive than the 

 green, and the young L. agilis and L. taurica show no green ; but 

 whereas in the evolution of L. agilis the green colour appears first on 

 the sides, before invading the back, the reverse obtains in L. taurica 

 and L. muralis. 



17. LACEETA PELOPONNESIACA. 



Lacerta peloponnesiaca, Bibr. in Bory de St. Vine. Exped. Sc. 

 Moree, Eept. p. 66, pi. x, fig. 4 (1835) ; Bedriaga, Zool. Anz. 1883, 

 p. 216, and Abh. Senck. Ges. xiv, 1886, p. 331, pi. — , fig. 18 ; Bouleng. 

 Cat. Liz. iii, p. 27 (1887) ; Werner, Wiss. Mitth. Bosn. Herzog. vi, 

 1899, p. 832; Bouleng. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1911, p. 37, fig., pi. i; 

 Schreib. Herp. Eur., ed. 2, p. 459, fig. (1912) ; Bouleng. Tr. Zool. 

 Soc. xxi, 1916, p. 48, pi. iii, figs. 7-9. 



Lacerta muralis (non Laur.), Bibr. I.e. figs. 2, 3. 



Lacerta taurica, part., Dum. & Bibr. Erp. G-en. v, p. 225 (1839) ; 

 Schreib. Herp. Eur. p. 419 (1875). 



Podarcis taurica, part., De Betta, Eett. Anf. Grec. p. 85 (1868). 



Lacerta taurica, vars. peloponnesiaca, rathJcei, maculata, Bedriaga, 

 Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1881, p. 83. 



In shape and general proportions not unlike L. taurica, but head 

 usually larger and limbs rather longer. Head large (usually not 4 

 times in length to vent in males), feebly depressed ; snout sometimes 

 very obtuse, sometimes very pointed, as long as the distance between 

 the eye and the ear-opening ; preocular region rather deeply concave. 

 Neck as broad as the head, or a little broader. Foot always longer 

 than the head. Hind limb reaching the collar or between the collar 

 and the ear-opening in the male, the elbow or the axil in the female. 

 Tail cylindrical, twice as long as head and body or a little shorter or a 

 little longer. 



Nostril pierced between the nasal, the postnasal, the first upper 

 labial, and the rostral. Nasals forming a short or very short suture 

 behind the rostral* ; frontonasal as long as broad or broader than 

 long ; frontal not longer than frontoparietals, anterior borders very 

 concave, meeting at an acute angle, the shield often appearing 

 trilobate with long median lobe in front, in adult male specimens; 

 parietals about once and a half as long as broad, in contact with the 

 upper postocular, outer border convex ; occipital very variable in size, 



* In two specimens the frontonasal forms a narrow suture with the rostral ; 

 similar exceptions have been pointed out hy "Werner, I.e. 



