142 



MR. A. LOVERIDGE ON 



Rcai-let in the breeding adults. I was at once struck by the hand- 

 some throats of the Dodoma specimens as they bobbed their heads 

 up and down upon the rocks wliere they basked in the sun. The 

 throat of these males has a pear-shaped scarlet patch 14 scales 

 wide and 30 to 32 scpJes long ; it is surrounded by a rich navy- 

 blue border 9 scales in width ; outside the posterior part of this 

 is a semicircle of scarlet commencing narrowly at base of jaws 

 and widening on the throat. These males are far larger than the 

 type or any collected elsewhere. Both the largest males measured 

 11| inches (140-150 mm., tails missing), the largest female 

 measured 11^ inches (11 2' 173 mm.). 



There appear to be no scale characters whereby the Dodoma 

 specimens can be distinguished ; they have a far larger number 

 of scale-rows round mid-body than the type, but as the cross- 

 country series show an intergradation in this character, it appears 

 to be a pity to multiply local races by giving them names. 



A couple of notes made on Longido specimens are interesting, 

 as they show something of the chamseleon-like possibilities of this 

 Agama : — 28. i. 16. " Was successful in shooting one of the scarlet- 

 headed, blue-bodied Agamas. As soon as it was put in formalin 

 a,llthe bright colouring departed, and it became a study in browns." 

 2. ii. 16. "A brown Agama was basking on a rock, and I killed it 

 very suddenly with a smart blow across the back, causing it to 

 fall over with a little quiver, its back evidently broken. I placed 

 it in a black bag, and on my return to camp was surprised to find 

 its head of a brilliant scarlet and the body bright blue, exactly 

 the reverse of what occurred with a shot specimen a few days ago. 

 It appears probable that all the Agamas hereabouts are only 

 colour variations of the one species." Of a male shot in the 

 Kedong Valley I wrote, 19. vii. 15 : " Shot a brilliantly coloured 

 Agama, head rich brick-red, and the body, more particularly 

 underneath, a vivid ultramarine blue," 



All the specimens were found upon rocks and tlie same type of 

 sandy thorn-bush country. 



The two Dodoma females contained eggs, the larger having 8 

 and the smaller 7, measuring 20 x 12 mm. (S.xii. 18). 



Agama vaillanti (Blgr.). 



Blgr. Ann. Mus. Civ. ser. 2, vol. xv. 1895, p. 12. 



Five specimens in all were obtained, two being from Mbunyi 

 and three from Yoi. One of the Mbunyi specimens measured 

 85 mm. in body, but the tail was mutilated. The largest Yoi 

 specimen measured 9 J inches (80- 170 mm.). Found on reddish 

 sandy soil, their colouring rendering them inconspicuous. 



Agama atricollis (Smith). 



Blgr. Cat. Liz. i. 1885, p. 358. 



Specimens in the Nairobi Museum were collected in the neigh- 

 bourhood, where: it is very common on trees. Two specimens 



