234 G. A. BOULENGER ON 



smooth scales inferiorly. Femoral pores reduced to 2 or 3 on each side. Tail very 

 long, cylindrical. 



L,oo Choo Islands. 



This genus is very closely allied to Tachydromus, to which it stands in the same 

 relation as Bedriagaia to Poromora among African genera. Could we find a lizard 

 combining the dorsal scales of Apeltonotus with the other characters of Tachydromus 

 amurensis , we would have the connecting link between the latter and Lacerta vivi- 

 para. 



I. Apeltonotus dorsalis, Stejneg. 



Takydromus dorsalis, Stejueg. Smithson. Quart. Misc. Coll. xlvii, 1905, p. 294, and Herp. 

 Japan, p. 229, fig. (1907) ; Van Denb. Proc. Calif. Ac. (4) iii, 1912, p. 242, 



Body slender, feebly depressed. Head if times as long as broad, its depth equal 

 to the distance between the centre of the eye and the tympanum, its length about 4 

 times in length to vent; snout acutely pointed, a little longer than the postocular 

 part of the head, with sharp canthus and vertical, concave loreal region. Pileus 

 z\ times as long as broad. Neck a little narrower than the head. Limbs slender, with 

 very long digits; the hind limb reaches the shoulder in males, not beyond the axil 

 in females ; foot a little longer than the head. Tail 3 to 3^ times as long as head 

 and body. 



Nostril between 3 shields ; nasals forming a very short suture behind the rostral ; l 

 frontonasal much longer than broad ; prefrontals forming an extensive suture ; fron- 

 tal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, about if times as long as broad, 

 narrower behind than in front ; parietals about ~l\ times as long as broad, outer 

 border convex; interparietal small, narrow, a little longer than the occipital; 3 or 4 

 supraoculars, if 4, first small and granular, followed by a series of granules separat- 

 ing the supraoculars from the superciliaries, which are 5 in number. Rostral barely 

 entering the nostril ; a single postnasal ; anterior loreal much smaller than the second ; 

 4 upper labials, rarely 5 or 3, anterior to the subocular. Temporal scales small, 

 strongly keeled; an enlarged, keeled anterior upper temporal shield; a short and 

 very narrow tympanic shield. 



4 pairs of chin-shields," the 3 anterior in contact in the middle; gular scales 

 granular anteriorly, gradually enlarged, imbricate, and keeled towards the collar, 

 26 in a straight median line ; collar-plates large, pointed, keeled. 



Scales strongly keeled, those on the back larger, about 5 corresponding to 3 

 ventral plates ; 28 to 30 scales across the middle of the body. Ventral plates in 6 

 longitudinal series, the outer strongly keeled, the others smooth or feebly keeled ; 24 

 transverse series. Praeanal plate large, smooth, bordered by a semicircle of small 

 plates, or with two small plates on each side. 



Scales on upper surface of limbs large, keeled, larger than the dorsals, on fore- 

 arm smooth and forming transverse plates. Usually 2, rarely 3, femoral pores on 

 each side. 29 lamellar scales under the fourth toe. 



I Rostral in contact with the frontonasal in one specimen examined by Van Denburgh. 

 * Van Denburgh notes one specimen as having 4 shields on one side and 5 on the other. 



