Lacerta. 313 



to L. danfordii, but nearer to L. oxyeejjhala. I can see no reason for 

 any near approximation to the latter species, and Mehely more correctly 

 regards L. anatoUca and L. danfordii as " Schwfesterarten " agreeing in 

 the most important morphological characters and conforming to the 

 same primary pattern of coloration. 



The only important difference resides in the longer head, which is 

 1| times as long as broad in the specimen before me (pileus nearly 

 twice as long as broad, parietal shields nearly twice as long as broad), 

 a difference, however, not greater than between two extreme specimens 

 of the var. tiliguerta of L. muralis, or even of the typical form in the 

 wider sense. I am also far from convinced that this character would 

 hold good if put to the test of a considerable material (which has not 

 been the case) ; in fact, if Schreiber's figure of one of the type specimens 

 of L. certzeni is to be at all trusted, the shape of the head may be 

 absolutely the same as in a typical L. danfordii (length 20 mm., 

 width 14 mm., parietals barely once and a half as long as broad). 



Another character to which undue importance has been assigued by 

 both Werner and Mehely is the number of longitudinal rows of ventral 

 plates, supposed to be 6 in L. danfordii and 8 in L. anatolica. But I 

 have already pointed out that there may be 8 series in the types of 

 L. danfordii and 6 or 8 is given as the number in L. certzeni, which is 

 identified with L. anatolica by Mehely. There is no constancy in 

 another character appealed to by the latter author, viz. the presence 

 of a detached portion of the rostral between it and the nostril — an 

 anomaly which may occur in any species of Lacerta, and which, 

 besides, is not shown by Werner's specimens. The divided anal* is 

 likewise inconstant, and is also shown by one of the types of L. dan- 

 fordii, the very one figured by Giinther when first describing the 

 species. 



The Anatolian specimens have 53 to 60 scales across the body, 8 

 longitudinal and 27 to 29 transverse series of ventrals, and 15 to 

 21 femoral pores on each side. Those from the islands (Ehodes, 

 Symi, Samos, Nicaria) have, according to Boettger, 62 to 66 scales, 

 6 or 8 longitudinal rows of ventrals, and 15 to 21 femoral pores. 

 There are sometimes 6 anterior upper labials, as in the type of L. 

 anatolica.f 



The type specimen of L. anatolica is described as greyish above with 

 grey reticulation and two series of black spots with a tendency to 

 form a network ; a blackish lateral band with a series of whitish 



* Which Sohreiber incorrectly describes as a very small anal. 

 + Out of 5 specimens from the same locality, described later by Werner, 4 

 ' have 5 anterior upper labials, as in the typical L. danfordii. 



