70 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Mar. 



the last vertebral plate too is much narrower posteriorly, being 

 pointed behind in the largest specimen ; the lateral suture of 

 this plate is continuous with the suture dividing the penulti- 

 nate marginal plate from the one next above it, whilst in typical 

 tecta the lateral margin joins the centre of the penultimate plate. 

 The first two vertebral plates are less strongly ridged. The 4th 

 vertebral does not appear to diifer in shape from that of tecta. The 

 plastrum also does not differ appreciably from that of tecta, except 

 that in all plates the dark spots are of greater extent. 



The differences noted above are constant in specimens of the fol- 

 lowing dimensions : The largest has the shell 7f inch, long by 5f ; 

 the next 6 by 4^, and the smallest 3f by 3. Had I only had one 

 specimen, I should have hesitated at making a distinction, but with 

 three of such different ages, I am inclined to think there is more 

 than a casual variety. 



Among the Monitor Lizards, ( Varanidce) Psammosaurus scincus, 

 M e r r., not recorded by G ii n t h e r among the Reptiles of India, is 

 given by Theobald in his Cat. Rept. Museum Asiat. Soc, from 

 the Punjab, Salt Range. I found it very common in the N. W. P. and 

 the Punjab, in the latter country indeed more common than Varanus 

 dracmia. I also found it common at Delhi, Umballa, Lahore and 

 other parts of the Punjab. It has recently been described by 

 Carlleylein the Journal of the Society, Vol. XXXVIII, under the 

 name of Varanus ornatus, where a good account of the fresh coloration 

 is given. Some time before the notice, I presented a young specimen 

 in spirits to the Museum from Umballa.* 



I found Varanus lunatus also in several of the Museums up- 

 country, to wit Delhi and Lahore ; and Oarlleyle met it also in the 

 vicinity of Agra. 



Of the Lacertidcc Giinther records but three inhabiting 

 our province, of two of which, he had not seen specimens, 

 and of the third only one specimen exists in the British Museum, 

 This lizard, named by G ii n t h e r Acanthodactylus Cantoris, I 

 found extremely abundant in IIuiTiana, in the country about 



* 1 find by a note in J. A. S.'s Vol. XXIV, p. 715 that Bly t h was the first 

 to recognise this African Reptile from Theobald's specimen, and he moreovor 

 ■tatea that ho has soon other specimens i'roin the other provinces. 



