REKTILES. 5 



Proctotretus pictus. 



Plate II.— Fig. 1, 2. 



Capite squamis parvis, Icevibus, non imbricatis ; aurium margine anterior e granuloso; 

 serie unicd squamarum supralabialium ; squamis temporum subcarinatis, imbricatis ; 

 collo ad latera granuloso; squamis dor salibus parvis, rhombeis, carina humili, postice 

 obtusa ; facie posteriore femorum omnind granulosa. 



Proctotretus pictus, Bibr. 1. c. p. 276. 



Habitat, Chile. 



Description. — This species is moderately slender in its general form, but more fusiform than Pr. 

 tenuis, which it much resembles in many of its characters. The head, which is rather short, and 

 with the snout rounded, is covered with numerous small flat plates which vary exceedingly in 

 their form and arrangement. The upper surface of the head is flattened, and the superciliary 

 ridges distinctly marked. The temples are covered with small flat scales, which are slightly 

 imbricated and carinated. The sides of the neck are granulated ; and the anterior margin of 

 the auditory cavity has small simple granulations. The scales of the back are distinguished 

 from those of many other species by the flatness of the carina which is also obtuse posteriorly ; 

 they are small and closely imbricated. Those of the sides are almost without any carina, and 

 those of the belly and throat small and very smooth, and the whole of them entire. The upper 

 parts of the limbs are covered with scales similar to those of the back, but smaller. Those of 

 the under part of the fore arm are similar, but beneath the thighs they are smooth and on the 

 posterior part of the thighs they are wholly granular. The tail is furnished with quadrilateral 

 carinated scales disposed in whorls. The margin of the cloaca has from two to four pores. 



The colour of this species varies greatly. Bibron has enumerated three principal varieties, 

 of which I have several specimens, which were brought home and presented to me by Capt. 

 King, who obtained them during his survey of the coast of South America. These varieties, 

 however, occasionally run into each other. 



Var. A. General colour of the upper part bronzed or coppery, having a green longitudinal 

 line on each side of the back, at the inner margin of which is a series of very distinct black dots. 

 The sides of the neck and body are of a similar colour to the back, with indistinct black spots ; 

 beneath this part the ground colour becomes blue with black dots. The throat is blackish, and 

 the inferior surface generally is very pale bluish green. 



Var. B. This variety is described by M. Bibron as of a brown colour more or less dotted 

 with yellow, and having a line of that colour along each side of the back, extending from the 

 posterior angle of the eye to the base of the tail, and having on each side a series of angular 

 black spots. Some of these spots on the upper part of the flanks, become dilated, so as to form 

 a sort of vertical or transverse waved bands, with yellowish margins. On the neck there are 

 small black lines, and the upper part of the head is brown with blackish spots. The upper 

 surface of the legs and of the tail is brown with transverse bands composed of black dots. The 



