F. Stoliczka — On Indian lizards . 
133 
1872.] 
number; the fore leg extends generally somewhat beyond the ear, and 
often as far as the angle of the mouth, but very rarely beyond it ; the hind 
leg is generally somewhat more than one fourth the length of the body. 
In the form, greater or lesser thickness, and in the length of the 
body and of the tail, the two first mentioned species are identical, and equally 
variable ; both have in front of the ear two lobules, the upper oi which is 
the larger one, while the lower becomes occasionally obsolete. Both species 
also have the shields on the preanal edge slightly larger than those above 
them, and both have the lower eyelid covered with enlarged shields j 
but in the former the centre large shield is opaque, and generally broken up in 
two or three smaller ones, while in the latter it always remains entire, but it 
is generally only in young specimens perfectly transparent, the usual size 
of either species is a little above 4 inches, the tail if normal being about 
equal to the length of the body, but often it is reproduced, becoming thinner, 
or thicker, and shorter, and with the subcaudals often somewhat enlarged. 
The coloration is generally tolerably distinct in the two species. 
In albojmnctata of South India the back is often uniform brown ; in 
Bengal specimens, each of the six median rows of scales of the back has a 
black dot, forming longitudinal lines and continuing on the tail, the extieme 
edges of the upper back are sometimes pale coloured, and some varieties of 
this type occasionally very much resemble those of Hardwick ii ; side s 
purplish black, spotted with white ; lower side of the tail uniform white, like 
the vent, or more often each scale with a blackish dot. Legs above black 
spotted. — This species extends from South India through Central India, the 
whole of Bengal, into N. -Eastern Asam, and westwards into Pegu. At Cal- 
cutta it is very common during the winter months, but I have seen extremely 
few specimens in the time between May and the end of the rainy season. 
It. Hardwickii is more variable in colour. The back and sides of the 
body are sometimes entirely purplish black ; the edges of the upper back 
from the nostril, and the whole of the lower side purely white, tail vermilion in 
young, pale brownish above, white below, in older specimens. Other specimens, 
particularly those from Northern India, (about Agra and northwards towards 
the base of the Himalayas), have the four median rows of dorsal scales each 
with a large blackish spot, or rather the spots are generally situated on the 
suture between each two scales, and the scales in the two middle rows have their 
lower margins apparently serrated ; the upper edges of the back have the usual 
white or yellowish bands ; the sides are abovepurplish black, further down paler 
and each scale has a black spot; white dots occur either over the entire side, or 
only on the anterior half, or they are restricted to the side of the neck ; vent 
always uniform white ; tail with a black spot to-each scale, sometimes absent 
on the lower side, its general colour fleshy. The reddish or purplish tinge is 
gradually lost in spirit. — This species is found in South India,* extending 
* According to Blyth also in Ceylon, 
18 
