322 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



has been made in the study of this group. In the 1887 edition of 

 the ' Natural History Museum Catalogue ' there are denned — 



44 species of Chamceleon. 



3 ,, Brookesia. 



2 ,, Rhampholeon. 



At the present time there are in this unrivalled collection — 

 60 species of Chamceleon. 



4 ,, Brookesia. 



4 ,, Rhampholeon. 

 Werner,* in his recent list, gives — 



73 species of Chamceleon. 

 7 ,, Brookesia. 



5 ,, Rhampholeon. 



There were in 1887 only eight species of East African Chamce- 

 leons listed in the Museum Catalogue, and one of Rhampholeon ; 

 now we have 



18 species of Chamceleon. 



3 ,, Rhampholeon. 

 While the new list already quoted shows 



26 species of Chamceleon. 

 5 ,, Rhampholeon. 



The separation of these animals into species (as in many 

 other groups) requires great care, and it is due to such careful 

 systematists as Mr. Boulenger and Dr. Werner that several have 

 been added which otherwise would probably have been over- 

 looked. There is even now great diversity of opinion among 

 specialists of this- group regarding the value of certain charac- 

 teristics for specific purposes, and it is with these and other 

 interesting features of the East African Chameleons that the 

 writer intends briefly to deal. 



We can group the species under several well-marked head- 

 ings, the first as the C. gracilis group, which comprises four 

 species separated mainly by the size of the occipital lobes, and 

 the presence or absence of a tarsal spur. 



C. gracilis. — Distinct indications of occipital lobes, not mov- 

 able. Male with tarsal spur. 



C. roperi. — Occipital lobes well developed, but small, entirely 

 separated from each other. No tarsal spur. 



* " Prodroinus einer Monographie der Chamaleonten," von Dr. Franz 

 Werner (' Abdruck aus den Zoologischen Jahrbuchern, 1902 '). 



