Lacerta, 191 



Lacerta sicula, Scherer, BI. f. Aq. u. Terr.-K. xiv, 1903, pp. 277, 

 288, fig. 



Lacerta muralis, var. serpa, part., Bouleng. Tr. Zool. Soc. xvii, 

 1905, p. 394, pi. xxvii, fig. 7, and xx, 1913, p. 155. 



Lacerta serpa, var. doderleini, Schreib. op. eit. p. 456. 



The bright green wall-lizard of Sicily, on which the name Lacerta 

 serpa was bestowed by Eafinesque, has usually been associated with 

 the green varieties of Italy under the name of serpa or neapolitana, 

 but I am now of opinion that it should stand as a distinct variety, 

 bearing considerable resemblance to L. taurica, to which it was 

 referred by Dumeril and Bibron, and also to the var. fiumana, as 

 first pointed out by Scherer. It differs from the latter form principally 

 in the'larger head of males, the longer hind limbs, and smaller scales 

 on an average, whilst the longer digits have a higher average number 

 of scales on the lower surface. As pointed out by Eimer its pattern 

 of markings is highly suggestive of the typical L. muralis of C. Europe, 

 and when the green colour is absent the superficial resemblance is 

 great indeed. 



Head 3f to 4 times in length to vent in males, 4 to 4^ times in 

 females, 1^ to I-*- times as long as broad, usually rather convex 

 above, its depth equal to the distance between the anterior corner 

 or the centre of the eye and the tympanum ; snout obtusely pointed, 

 as long as the postocular part of the head ; pileus 2 to 2| times as 

 long as broad. Body moderately depressed. The hind limb reaches 

 the collar or between the collar and the ear in males, the elbow, the 

 axil, or the shoulder in females ; foot IJ to 1| times as long as head. 

 Tail If to 2i length of head and body. 



Eostral shield usually entering the nostril or narrowly separated 

 from it; nasals forming a suture behind the rostral* ; frontal as long 

 as its distance from the rostral or the end of the snout; parietals 

 IJ to If times as long as broad, in contact with the upper postocular ; 

 occipital always shorter than the interparietal and often a little 

 broader, sometimes minute or reduced to a granule, or separated from 

 the interparietal by a small shield ; a series of granules between the 

 supraoculars and the superciliaries, which number 5 or 6, first usually 

 longest and forming an oblique suture with the second, the series of 

 granules sometimes complete, sometimes incomplete or much reduced 

 (5 or 6) ; 4, rarely 5, upper labials anterior to the subocular, the 

 lower border of which is much shorter than the upper ; temporal 

 scales small, usually with 3 to 5 more or less enlarged but narrower 

 upper temporals, the first of which is the loiigest ; masseteric shield 

 * In one male the rostral forms a suture with the frontonasal. 



