120 W. T. Blanford—WNotes on a collection of Reptiles [No. 3, 
find their way over the ghat from the natural lake. I cannot hear of the 
existence of Crocodiles elsewhere in these parts, though they are found in a 
small tank in the Chittore hill fort, 100 miles to the south.” 
I identified the species found in Sind with ©. palustris, and it is not 
improbable that the Ajmere crocodile may be the same. We are badly in 
want of a careful collection and comparison of Indian crocodiles ; small 
specimens 2 or 3 feet long would be of service. 
3. VARANUS LUNATUS P 
Three young specimens have been sent to me by Major St. John; 
they are respectively 19, 14 and 8% inches long. In the first I count 114 
scales from the gular fold to the loin, in the second 98, in the third 104. 
Owing to the irregularity of the anterior scales, the number is not quite 
constant, but having counted the rows in each case two or three times, I only 
find a difference of one or two. 
The colouration is also different in all three. The largest specimen 
is much darker than the others ; yellowish brown in spirit, with small black 
spots more or less regularly arranged in transverse lines on the back, and 
narrow blackish cross lines on the neck. A few white spots, generally 
very small, are scattered quite irregularly over parts of the back, sides, limbs 
and tail. A black line from the back of the eye over the ear to the side 
of the nape. 
The next specimen is paler yellowish brown, with cross rows of small 
white ocelli alternating with rows of dark spots throughout the back, and 
with somewhat irregular broad bands on the tail. The black line from be- 
hind the eye is less distinct. 
In the smallest specimen, the ground colour is still paler, numerous 
dark bands cross the back and alternate with rows of minute white dots: 
on the tail the dark bands form rings, and are much broader than on the 
back ; on the back of the neck the dark lines are V-shaped, the angle being 
directed backwards. The dark marks running back from the eyes meet on 
the nape, and form the first cross band. ‘There are imperfect dark cross 
lines on the chin and throat. 
The question arises to which species these monitors should be referred. 
Varanus flavescens and V. nebulosus are quite different, and it is clear 
that the Ajmere specimens, if they belong to a described form, must be 
either V. dracena or V. lunatus. The distinctions between these species 
are variously described by different naturalists. Gray’s original description 
of Varanus lunatus, in the Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the 
Collection of the British Musewm (1845) p. 10, runs thus: 
“ Nostrils large, nearly central, (7. e,, between the eye and muzzle,) shields over 
orbit small, subequal; dark brown, with lunate bands, directed backwards on the neck 
