1870.] Reptilia and Amphibia from Central India. 3f>5 



forest, it appears to keep much to thin bush, and frequently to 

 haunt rocky places. 



The variety common about Clmnda and S. E. Berar has a yellow 

 band down each side of the back, which disappears in large speci- 

 mens. 



17. SlTANA PoNDICERIANA, C U V. 



S. minor, G ii n t h e r, Eept. Brit. Ind. p. 135. — S tein- 

 cl a c h n e r, Eeise der Novara, Zool. Theil., Reptilia, p. 26. 



Although it is possible that there are two distinguishable forms 

 of Sitana in India, one much larger than the other, I doubt 

 greatly whether the proportions of the legs, which have been 

 mainly depended upon by G ii n t h e r, when pointing out the 

 differences, are sufficiently constant to enable them to be used as 

 specific characters. If they really be so, I should have to describe 

 two new species, as I have obtained two forms, both of which 

 differ somewhat in the proportions of their limbs from the two 

 species discriminated in Giinther's Reptiles of British India. 

 If they are not, and I shall give some measurements which will 

 shew a considerable amount of variation, then the only difficulty 

 in identifying the smaller Southern form with S. Pondiceriana, 

 Cuv., disappears. As the lizard abounds in Southern India, it is 

 far more probable that u v i e r ' s specimens were obtained 

 from the neighbourhood of Pondicherry than that they were cap- 

 tured in the Northern Deccan,* whilst D u m e r i 1 and B i b r o n 

 had palpably, I think, specimens both from the North and the 

 South, and their description is very probably taken from a 

 Northern individual.! 



G ii n t h e r describes his S. minor as having the forelimb 

 extending beyond the vent if laid backwards, the hind limb to or 

 beyond the extremity of the snout, if laid forwards ; the lower 

 thigh, he adds, is considerably shorter than the foot, the length of 

 which is more than the distance between the shoulder and hip 

 joints. Now I have collected between 30 and 40 specimens 



* I have not access to Cuvier's original description. 



f The figure in Jacquemont, Voy. dans 1' lnde, Atlas, pi. 10, is that of the 

 Northern variety, and Dumeril and B i b r o n mention Jacquemont's speci- 

 mens amongst those in the Paris Museum. 



