247 



BROAD-TAILED LIZARD. 



Lacerta Platura. L. griseo-fusca scabra, suhtus 'pallida, cauda 

 depresso-plana lanceolata, margine suhaculeata. 



Grey-brown rough Lizard, paler beneath, with depressed lan- 

 ceolate tail almost spiny on the margin. 



Lacerta Platura. Broad- tailed Lizard. WhitesJovrn.ofVoy. 

 to New South Wales, p. 245. pi 32. Nat. Misc, vol, 2. pi. 65. 



This remarkable species is a native of New 

 Holland, and is strikingly distinguished by the 

 peculiar form of its tail, which is flat or depressed, 

 and gradually widens from the base to a greater 

 diameter than the body of the animal, and again 

 gradually tapers to a sharp attenuated extremity: 

 it is muricated, as is every other part of the 

 upper surface of the animal, b}^ small tubercles, 

 which on the edges of the tail are lengthened into 

 sharpened points : the head is large, somewhat 

 flattened, broad at the back part, and tapers at the 

 snout : the neck is nearly of the diameter of the 

 body, which somewhat exceeds the tail in length : 

 the limbs are of moderate length and rather slen- 

 der than strong : the feet all pentadactyle, with 

 slender toes, armed by curved claws. The colour 

 of the M^hole animal on the upper parts, is a dusky 

 brownish grey ; beneath paler and smooth. The 

 general length of this species seems to be from 

 four to six inches or rather more Inhabit, ex- 

 cept in the feet, it is allied to the Gecko tribe. 



