144 LIZARDS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



The Philippine forms may be advantageously divided into sub- 

 species when larger series have been obtained. 



I did not find it in Sulu but probably it occurs there on the 

 larger islands. The species is known from Luzon, PoMllo, Min- 

 doro, Negros, Dinagat, and Mindanao. 



VARANID^ 



Varanidse Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia (1864) ; Boulen- 

 GER, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. 2 (1885) 303. 



''Tongue smooth, very long and slender, forked, retractile into 

 a sheath at the base. Teeth large, dilated at the base, which 

 is fixed to the inner side of the jaws; palate toothless. Prse- 

 maxillary single, narrowed and much prolonged posteriorly. 

 Nasal bones coalesced, narrow; two frontals; a single parietal; 

 a supraorbital bone; postorbital arch incomplete; a bony post- 

 f rontosquamosal arch ; pterygoids and palatines widely separated ; 

 infraorbital fossa bounded by the pterygoid, palatine, and trans- 

 verse bone, the maxillary being excluded. No dermal cranial 

 ossifications ; head covered with small polygonal scales. Eyelids 

 well developed; ear-opening distinct. Limbs well developed; 

 clavicle slender; interclavicle anchor-shaped. Dorsal scales 

 roundish, juxtaposed, surrounded by rings of minute granules; 

 ventral scales squarish, arranged in cross rows. No femoral 

 or prseanal pores. Tail very long." (Boulenger-) 



A single genus, confined to Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. 

 About thirty species are known. 



Genus VARANUS Merrem 



Tupinambis, part., Daudin, Rept. 3 (1802) 5. 



Varanus Merrem, Tent. Syst. Amph. (1820) 58; Dumeril and Bibron, 



Erp. Gen. 3 (1836) 467; Gray, Cat. Liz. (1845) 9; Gunther, Rept. 



Brit. India (1864) 64; BoulenGER, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. 2 (1885) 304. 

 Psammosaurus Fitzinger, Neue Class. Rept. (1826) 50; Wagler, Syst. 



Amph. (1830) 165. 

 fHydrosaurus Gunther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 64. 

 ?Polydsedalus Wagler, Syst. Amph. (1830) 165. 

 Monitor Schlegel, Abbild. Amph. (1844) 65; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. 



(1870) 106. 



Characters of the genus are the same as those of the family. 



The species of this genus of large lizards are among the 

 most striking specimens of the Philippine reptile group. They 

 attain a larger size than any other Philippine lizard, not in- 



