110 
F. Stoliczlca — On Indian Lizards. 
[No. 1, 
in the allied new species, presently to be described, I would attach hardly any 
significance to these enlarged scales, but the variability of this character will 
be important in a comparison with other allied genera ; 3rd, the ventral scales 
are in young specimens of Cli. dorsalis distinctly keeled, and even in old ones 
the keels are generally traceable on the breast and in front of the anus. A 
peculiar character of the type species, Ch. dorsalis, consists in the very 
small scales of the body, but this character loses its value by the other 
species, Ch. Blanfordana, having all the scales comparatively much larger. 
If, after this brief explanation, we compare with the above noted 
characteristics of Charasia those of Oriocalotes, as recorded by Gunther, (I. 
K., p. 146), we find that there is no essential distinction between the two. 
According to the description of the species, the body of Oriocalotes minor 
would seem to be less depressed, and there is besides a shoulderfold noticed, 
but I doubt that these characters can be looked upon as generic differences ; 
they are certainly not regarded as such in the genus Calotes. The type 
species described by Gunther, O. minor, is from Sikkim, but I have unfortu- 
nately never met with it. The only other species, O. major, noted by 
Jerdon from the Sutlej valley, (Proc. Asiat. Soc., Bong. 1870, p. 77) I con- 
sider intermediate between O. minor and Cliarasia Llanfordana. 
There also appears to be very little difference between Charasia and 
Acanthosaura, and I think it doubtful that the species of the latter are 
arboreal in their habits ; however, I have never observed them alive. 
A third form is Gunther’s Oriotiaris (I. R., p. 150). The only known 
species, O. tricarinata, was often observed by me in Sikkim ; it is like Chara- 
sia a ground lizard. The sole important difference from the latter genus, and 
the so-called Oriocalotes, consists in the absence of a shoulder or gular fold, 
a character which I do not consider to possess generic value. I believe, 
therefore, that Charasia, Oriocalotes, and most probably also Oriotiaris 
should form only one genus, to which Acanthosaura is very closely allied, if 
at all distinct. The three former are certainly ground lizards, as are also 
Japalura, Agama, Stellio, while Calotes is often not much more arboreal than 
terrestrial, Bronchocele is chiefly, and Haris entirely, arboreal. 
Charasia Bbaufobdana, n. sp. 
Charasia dorsalis, Gray, apud Blanford, Jonrn. Asiat. Soc. B., 1870, vol. xxxix, p. 368. 
PI. Ill, fig. 5 and 5a. Upper and side views of the head, natural size. 
Head elongately ovate, or subtrigonal, considerably shorter and blunter 
in young than in old specimens, with the paratoids very much swollen in the 
adult male. Head covered with small, subequal, carinated scales, those at the 
sharp edge of the canthus rostralis and above the eyes somewhat larger than 
others. Nasal shield large, swollen, single, the opening directed laterally 
upwards ; a minute spine, or a tubercle, at the posterior end of the superciliary 
edge ; two spines above the tympanum, one situated on the occiput and the 
