376 Notes on the Fauna of the Nicobar Islands. [No. 173. 



Reptilia. 



My materials for illustrating this class are rather scanty, although 

 it would appear that the Nicobars possess many species, more especially 

 of Ophidia. 



Of the Testudinata, Mr. Barbe mentions two, recognizable portions of 

 both of which were brought by Capt. Lewis : viz. — 



Chelonia virgata ; the edible Turtle of the Bay of Bengal : and 



Ch. imbricata ; the " Tortoise-shell" Turtle. 



Of the Sauria, Capt. Lewis collected four species : 



Monitor salvator, (Laurent) : Tupinambis bivittatus, Kuhl ; Varanus 

 bivittatus, Dumeril and Bibron, Hist, des Reptiles, III, 486. 



M. nebulosus, Gray: Varanus nebulosus, Dum. and Bibr., Hist. Rept. 

 Ill, 483. 



Both of these species inhabit the Malayan peninsula, and the first 

 occurs abundantly in Lower Bengal. According to M. M. Dumeril and 

 Bibron, the second also was sent from Bengal by M. Belanger; but I 

 have never succeeded in obtaining an Indian specimen. 



Calotes ophiomachus, (Merrem), Dum. and Bibr., Hist. Rept. IV, 482. 

 This agrees sufficiently well with the description cited, save that the 

 terminal four-fifths of the extremely long tail are white, instead of being 

 annulated with white. I have no Indian specimen with which to com- 

 pare it. If truly identical with the Indian reptile, the analogy of other 

 Nicobarian species that occur also in India, renders it probable that 

 it likewise inhabits the mainland forming the eastern shore of the 

 Bay.* 



C. mystaceus, Dum. and Bibr., Hist. Rept. IV, 408. The authors 

 cited found this species upon a single specimen received from Burmah. 

 One from the Nicobars accords with their description in all respects as 

 regards structure ; but the specific name does not apply. As far as can 

 be judged from the example before me (preserved in spirit), the brilliant 

 colours of which are now little more than indicated, it would seem that 

 the entire head and throat, if not also several of the anterior dorsal 

 spines, had been bright red, or the throat and lower jaw may perhaps have 



* Referring to Merrem's figure, Hist. Nat. des Rept. Ill, 361, I cannot hesitate in 

 considering the Nicobarian species to be the same. 



