Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
43 
on adult specimens, and it isjdesirable that each locality should be repre 
sented by more than one specimen. 
Of late years the various authors have created m any new species on 
insufficient grounds: a goodly proportion of these have already found 
their way into the synonymy, and I have a few more reductions to make 
here. 
Lacertilia. 
Ptenopus garruius Smith.— Rietfontein, Gordonia (H. Drew). 
Palmatogecko rangei Anders. — Dr. Werner gives some excellent figures 
of this gecko : misprinted Pelmatogecko in Annals South African Museum. 
Oedura africana Boul. (synonym, 0. nivaria Boul.). — The position 
of the nostril relative to the rostral scute is the only character which 
separates the two forms. It is certainly an easily ascertained character 
but probably not of specific value. According to the descriptions, 
africana has the nostril between the rostral and three nasals, the upper 
of which is large and forms a suture with its fellow; nivaria has the nostril 
between four or five scales, the upper largest and separated from its fellow 
by a granule, and the Pirie specimen (F. A. 0. Pym) combines these 
characters, for the nostril lies between the rostral, the first labial and three 
nasals, the anterior nasal, which is largest, being separated from its fellow 
by a granule. 
Judging from the published records, the two forms certainly have an 
overlapping distribution in eastern Gape Province and Natal, and it is 
significant that Durban is credited with both species (Roux and Boulenger). 
The original record of africana from Damaraland must, I think, be viewed 
with suspicion, for it has never been taken in that region by the German 
explorers and, moreover, the type specimen was taken from a snake, 
Pythonodipsas carinata Gunth., which also is not otherwise known from 
the western portion of South Africa. 
Lygodactylus capensis Smith. — Potchefstroom (W. Moore), Pongola 
(Trans. Mus.), Mafeking (Kimberley Mus.). Werner records it from 
Keetmanshoop in German South-West Africa. 
Lygodactylus ocellatus Roux. — Athol, Ermelo District (Miss M. Forbes). 
Pachydactylus bibroni Sm th. — According to Dr. Werner the following 
are local races of this species: P. laevigatus Fisch., with smooth dorsal 
tubercles ; P. bibroni sens, strict. , with strongly keeled or trihedral dorsal 
tubercles; P. stellatus Wern., with radially keeled dorsal tubercles; 
P. boulengeri Torn, of East Africa. But it seems to me doubtful if all 
these are entitled to rank even as geographical varieties, seeing that there 
is considerable variation as regards the dorsal tubercles in specimens from 
limited areas. I have seen typical specimens of stellatus from Rietfontein, 
Gordonia (H. Drew). 
Our examples of bibroni show some variation in the arrangement 
of the scales bordering the nostril, and the anterior nasals may be broadly 
in contact or completely separated. The general distribution cited by 
Mr. Boulenger for this species requires a little qualification in view of the 
fact that the species is unknown from Natal and Zululand,. though it occurs 
in the Barberton District. 
