EEPTILIA. 
except near tlie base below, keeled, and ending in a short spine posteriorly; those near the base 
scarcely larger than the back scales, those behind very httle smaller, all in verticils. There 
is 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 
dusky bars on the side. Anterior portion of the back and upper part of forelimbs dusky, with 
transverse rows of pale spots, sometimes forming tolerably marked bars, especially on the 
shoulders 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 crosshands; 
binder portion brown. Lower parts uniform pale yellow, except the chin and throat, which are 
dusky, more or less mottled, or speckled with pale yellow. The young is much paler in colour, 
with a pinkish tinge, and the scattered black scales on the hack are few in number, and form 
rather irregular transverse hnes. 
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 
to thirteen teeth along each side, and two pairs of more elongate pointed teeth in front. 
All the larger specimens are eviscerated. Dr. Stoliczka in his diary mentions that, at 
Karghalik, he found this species living in holes in sand, and that, on a low hush, he saw one 
specimen which, when pursued, took to the ground immediately. I have never seen any 
other StelUo wliich had similar habits, though probably, from its habitat, S. aralensis may 
resemble the present species. All the other species of the genus are, as a rule, rock lizards, living 
on the rocks, and takiug refuge in clefts and under stones. S. nuptus in Persia is sometimes 
found on old walls of hardened mud, hut with the exception of S. aralensis^ I have never 
heard of any species inhabiting level ground and living in holes, as, from Dr. Stoliczka’s note, 
is, I infer, the case with the present form. 
/S', stoliczhanus differs much from all known species. The arrangement of the scales 
on the body is quite distinct in A. nuptus ^ and S. melcmura^ which belong, indeed, to a 
different section of the genus. B. tuherculatus^ S. agrorensis^ and A day anus ^ are stouter 
forms; the first two are at once recognised by their more strongly keeled dorsal scales, the 
much greater difference between the dorsal and lateral scales, and the smaller size of the latter, 
and B. day anus differs in having strongly keeled dorsal and lateral scales, in the numerous large 
scales scattered over the sides, and the larger scales on the hmbs, besides other distinctions 
in each case. None of the three species have the spinose scales on the sides of the neck so 
developed as in S. stoliezkanus. B. himalayanus has the central dorsal scales smooth, besides 
other distinctions. 
B. caucasicus ® and B. microlepis ® are also distinguished by stouter form and broader 
heads, by the presence of a large cluster of enlarged scales in the middle of each side, and of 
an oval patch of thickened scales in the middle of the abdomen in both sexes. The scales in 
^ DeEilippi: Giomale del I. E. 1st Lomb. vi, (1843);—Eastern Persia, ii, p. 317. 
2 LaudaMa {JPlocederma) melanura, Blytb : Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 1854, xxiii, p. 738 ;— S. melanuriis, Anderson : Proc. As, 
Soc. Bengal, 1871, p. 189. 
® Vide ante. 
^ Stoliczka: Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 1872, xli, Pt. 2, p. 113. 
® Eichwald: Zool. Spec, iii, p. 187;—Fauna Gasp. Cane., p. 80;—Eastern Persia, ii, p. 322, PI. xx, fig. 1. 
® Eastern Persia, ii, p. 326, PI. xix, fig. 2. 
B 
