172 LIZARDS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



Measurements of Sphenomorphus curtirostris Taylor. 



mm. 



Total length 98 



Snout to foreleg 16 



Snout to vent 44 



Tail 54 



Axilla to groin 21 



Foreleg 10.5 



Hind leg 15 



Width of head 7 



Variation.— The type of this species was collected by myself 

 in Agusan Province between Simulao and Gibong Rivers. 

 Two other specimens were taken in the same locality, and sev- 

 eral from about Lake Mainit in the northeastern peninsula of 

 Mindanao; seven were collected about Mount Maquiling, Luzon. 



These specimens vary considerably in the relation of the pre- 

 frontals,* the frontal to the first superciliary, and in the ar- 

 rangement of the frenals. 



Out of fifteen specimens examined, three have the frenals nor- 

 mal, that is, one behind the other, both touching the labials ; two 

 have the posterior frenal fused with the lower anterior, thus 

 leaving a single frenal in contact with the labial ; and ten speci- 

 mens have the anterior frenal divided into two superimposed 

 scales and the posterior separated from the labials by the in- 

 ferior preocular.f Nine specimens have the prefrontals in con- 

 tact broadly, while six have them narrowly separated; in about 

 the same proportion of specimens the frontal touches the first 

 superciliary. The scale rows vary between thirty-eight and 

 forty ; the lamellse under fourth toe, between fifteen and eighteen ; 

 and two specimens have the first supraocular broken into two 

 scales. One specimen from Mount Maquiling has a black throat. 



Remarks. — It appears that this species is closely related to 

 S, moellendorffi (Boettger), from Tablas. It is differentiated, 

 however, by an average of six to eight more scale rows around 

 the body. The character of the frenal scales is not constant, 

 and the condition which obtains in the type does not hold 

 throughout the series. 



The species is known only from the localities mentioned. 



*The original description (Taylor op. cit.) states that "the nasals 

 are separated in one half of the specimens, and form a suture in the 

 others." For nasals read prefrontals. 



t Very similar variations occur in Sphenomorphus steerei Stejneger. 



