KEPTILIA. 
5 
except near tlie base below, keeled, and ending in a short spine posteriorly ; those near' the base 
scarcely larger than the hack scales, those behind very little smaller, all in verticils. There 
ls a double fold below the neck, several at the side of the neck, and one which passes above 
the shoulder and down the side. 
The general colour is pale yellowish, mixed with dusky black. The head above is 
straw-coloured, with a few black scales scattered over the upper surface and irregular vertical 
c bsky bars on the side. Anterior portion of the back and upper part of forelimbs dusky, with 
bans verse rows of pale spots, sometimes forming tolerably marked bars, especially on the 
Moulders and upper parts of the fore legs ; hinder part of the hack and sides straw-colour, 
speckled with black. Tail pale yellowish at the base, sometimes with indications of crossbands ; 
under portion brown. Lower parts uniform pale yellow, except the chin and throat, which are 
c bsky, more orless mottled, or speckled with pale yellow. The young is much paler in colour, 
a pinkish tinge, and the scattered black scales on the back are few in number, and form 
1 at her irregular transverse lines. 
There are twelve to fourteen maxillary teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and three 
Pairs of conical teeth in front ; the outer pair the largest. In the lower jaw there are twelve 
0 thirteen teeth along each side, and two pairs of more elongate pointed teeth in front. 
All the larger specimens are eviscerated. I)r. Stoliczka in his diary mentions that, at 
Va rghalik, he found this species living in holes in sand, and that, on a low bush, he saw one 
•’pecimen which, when pursued, took to the ground Immediately. I have never seen any 
other Stellio which had similar habits, though probably, from its habitat, IS. aralensis may 
Kemble the present species. All the other species of the genus are, as a rule, rock lizards, living 
i? n the rocks, and taking refuge in clefts and under stones. S. nuptus in Persia is sometimes 
^ bud on old walls of hardened mud, but with the exception of S. aralensis , I have never 
biarcl of any species inhabiting level ground and living in holes, as, from Dr. Stoliczka’s note, 
b 1 mfer, the case with the present form. 
stoliezkanus differs much from all known species. The arrangement of the scales 
cllv^ le i s T u ^ e distinct in S. nuptus 1 and S. melmura , 2 3 * which belong, indeed, to a 
for ClGn ^ sec ti° n °f the genus. $. tuberculatus , s S. agrorensis 3 and S. day anus 1 are stouter 
bis 1 the first two are at once recognised by their more strongly keeled dorsal scales, the 
be a greater difference between the dorsal and lateral scales, and the smaller size of the latter, 
b *S. day amis differs in having strongly keeled dorsal and lateral scales, in the numerous large 
es scattered over the sides, and the larger scales on the limbs, besides other distinctions 
each case. None of the three species have the spinose scales on the sides of the neck so 
eloped as in S. stoliezkanus. S. himalayanus has the central dorsal scales smooth, besides 
er distinctions. 
^ & Caucasians 5 6 and S. mic/rolepis 8 are also distinguished by stouter form and broader 
a S ’ ^ presence of a large cluster of enlarged scales in the middle of each side, and of 
° v bl patch of thickened scales in the middle of the abdomen in both sexes. The scales in 
2 b^ilippi : Giomale del I. R. let Lomb. vi, (1843) ; — Eastern Persia, ii, p. 317. 
a> ’ ( Plocederma ) melanura, Blyth : Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 1854, xxiii, p. 738 ; — S. melanurus, Anderson : Proc. As, 
3 S °°- Bengal, 1871, p. 189. 
t vide ante. 
s Stoliczka; Jonr. As. Soc. Bengal, 1872, xli, Pt. 2, p. 113. 
6 V. UVal<i : Zo ° 1- S P ec ‘ P - 1S7 Fauna Casp. Cauc., p. 80 Eastern Persia, ii, p. 322, PI. xx, fig. 1. 
Eastern Persia, ii, p. 326, PL xix, fig. 2. 
E 
