THE FALUNS OF A DESERT TRACT IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 185 



the Indian Museum identified as Rana limnocharis by Mr. W. L. Sclater ' and can find 

 no specimen which agrees either with R. greenii, R. brevipahnata, or with R. mlgirua. 

 We are badly off, however, as regards examples of most of the South Indian 

 Batrachians. 



BUFO MELANOSTICTUS. 



Common at Ramanad and on Rameswarem, as it is throughout the plains of India, 

 Burma, Ceylon, Siarn and Malaya. Immediately after dark numerous individuals may be 

 found hopping slowly along even in the driest localities. The eggs seem to be laid, as 

 a rule, in small pools of rain-water. 



In Calcutta, I have on several occasions observed individuals of this Toad seated 

 under lamps attached to the wall of a house, and feeding on the insects which burnt their 

 wings and fell to the ground (cf. postea, pp. 186, 209). 



REPTILIA. 



Testudo ELEGANS. 



Not uncommon on the sand, both in Rameswarem and on the mainland. Its food 

 consists largely of the thickened, almost leafless stems of certain desert plants. It is mild 

 in behaviour and soon becomes very tame. 



The species reaches at least 18 inches in length of carapace, judging from specimens 

 in the Museum ; but all those seen in Ramanad were small. 



NlCORIA TRIJUGA Var. THERMALIS. 



This form does not appear to have been recorded previously from the mainland of 

 India, but is by far the commonest Tortoise throughout Ramanad. It appears to be entirely 

 terrestrial in its habits and is found on the sand at considerable distances from water. In 

 captivity it shows no eagerness for vegetable food, but the Tamils say that it feeds on the 

 stems which form a great part of the diet of Testudo elegans. Only young specimens were 

 obtained. 



Hemidactylus frenatus. 



A very common Gecko in houses throughout the whole of Southern India. We have 

 specimens from the Calcutta bazaars in the Museum ; but they may have been introduced, 

 as the species is rare in Lower, though abundant in Eastern Bengal. 



Hemidactylus brookii. 



Equally common with the preceding species in houses in Ramanad and throughout 

 the greater part of India. It occurs in human habitations in Calcutta 2 but is not here so 

 abundant as H.fiaviviridis. A pair, however, have taken up their abode for some months 



1 See List of the Batrochia in the Indian Museum, 1892. 



2 I have lately found it (March 1905) abundant under stones on dry soil in jungle on hills near Chakardharpur, Chota 

 Xagpur. (March 8th, 1906. — N. A.) 



