124 W. T. Blanford—WNotes on a collection of Reptiles [No. 3, 
mountain form; Dr. Giinther’s information led him to suppose that this 
scinque inhabited Sikkim at an elevation of 8000 feet. Whence his infor- 
mation was derived is not mentioned, but Dr. Stoliczka was probably cor- 
rect in attributing it to the Messrs. v. Schlagintweit, whose inaceuracy in 
these matters is notorious. Since the species was described, Sikkim has been 
searched by numerous collectors, but not a single specimen of this Hupre- 
pes has been found. Dr. Stoliczka noticed the improbability of this form 
occurring in the highlands of Sikkim, where not a single reptile found in 
the plains of India is known to occur, but he suggests that the specimens 
may have been procured in the warm valleys. It appears, however, that 
this scinque is an inhabitant of the dry parts of India. Major St. John has 
sent it from Ajmere, Mr. Theobald records it from Kalka, at the base of 
the barren lower Himalayas of the Punjab, and I have met with it in Upper 
Sind.* Now the fauna of the dry plains of Upper India is widely differ- 
ent from that found in the moist Sikkim valleys, and the only reptiles 
common to the two are a few species of enormous range, such as Oalotes 
versicolor or Naja tripudians. I believe, therefore, that Huprepes monti- 
cola, like Eryx Johnii and Gongylophis conicus, owes its supposed Sikkim 
locality solely to an incorrect label, and therefore the retention of the name 
monticola “tends to propagate an important error.” Under these circum- 
stances I propose to re-name the species after the original describer, Dr. 
Giinther. 
Two specimens of B. guentheri have been sent by Major St. John; 
they agree with Dr. Giinther’s original description in all essential particu- 
lars, and still better with Dr. Stoliczka’s. There are 35 or 36 scales round 
the body, the dorsal scales have two keels, sometimes with a faint third 
keel between the two stronger ridges ; lateral scales with three keels. 
EE. gquentheri is, according to Major St. John, common near Ajmere. 
It lives under bushes on the hill sides and in sand. 
6. HeEMIDACTYLUS TRIEDRUS, (7 subtriedrus). (Stoliczka, J. A. 8. B., 
1872, Pt. 2, p. 98.) The only specimen procured was caught on Tara- 
garh, close to Ajmere. There are unfortunately no specimens for compari- 
son from Southern India in the Museum at Calcutta, and I have no longer 
those procured near Ellore. In the individual from Ajmere, as in those 
from Ellore, none of the trihedral tubercles is quite as large as the ear 
opening. The specimen is, unfortunately, a female, and has no femoral 
pores. The following are the principal characters. 
Back with closely set trihedral tubercles, those in the middle a little 
* T have also received from Mr. Wynne a specimen of a scinque procured in 
Hazdra, and probably belonging to this species, but not in sufficiently good preserva- 
tion to be identified with certainty. 
