264 Laeertidas. 



28 to 32 in females.* Preanal plate usually rather large,t bordered 

 by one, rarely by two, semicircles of smaller plates. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia a little smaller than dorsals. 

 14 to 22 femoral pores on each side,t usually 16 to 19. 20 to 29 

 lamellar scales under the fourth toe, usually 22 to 26. 



Caudal scales more or less oblique, truncate or very obtusely pointed 

 behind, forming alternately longer and shorter whorls, the upper 

 usually more or less strongly keeled, rarely feebly keeled ; 26 to 34 

 scales in the fourth or fifth whorl behind the postanal granules. 



Coloration and markings very variable, but a vertebral streak or 

 series of spots constantly absent on the body, though sometimes 

 represented on the nape. The var. hocagii was founded on the green 

 ■colour of the back in specimens from Galicia, which is also found 

 in Algerian specimens (" variete verte " of Doumergue) ; but the upper 

 parts are more often grey, brown, or olive. Females usually bear two 

 whitish streaks on each side, the upper proceeding from the superciliary 

 -edge, the lower passing through the ear, separated by a dark brown 

 band sometimes bearing white, black-edged ocelli, or by crowded 

 black spots ; the dorsal space between the light streaks is at least as 

 great on the body as on the nape in Moroccan and Algerian specimens, 

 but it is often narrower on the body in Spanish and Portuguese ; 

 brown or black spots are often present on the back, but they are irre- 

 gularly disposed or form two longitudinal series, sometimes in the 

 form of rings ; upper surface of head uniform, or with black spots. 

 Some females are handsomely mai-ked with four broad black stripes 

 separated by the white dorsolateral lines. Males are sometimes 

 marked like the females, but the black spots often transform into a 

 reticulation, and the whole of the body may show a black network 

 enclosing small roundish pale green spots, such specimens (from the 

 Serra de Gerez) being very suggestive of the var. hedrlagm, which they 

 also approach in the very flat head and body. Others are not without 

 a general resemblance to the var. pityusensis, except for the absence of 

 a vertebral stripe or series of spots, and have no doubt given rise to 

 Bedriaga's remarks § on Galician specimens being a connecting form 

 between that variety and the typical L. muralis. The upper surface 

 of the head is usually much spotted with black. Black and white 



* 8 longitudinal series in 2 specimens from Tamaruth Valley and in one from 

 Fenzou. An incomplete outer series is sometimes present. 



t Small in a female from Tlemsen, bordered behind by a series of granules. 

 X An additional series of smaller pores in a male from Coimbra. 

 § Abh. Senok. Ges. xiv, 1886, p. 255. 



