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Show 1881.] LIZARDS OF SOCOTRA. 465 of broad subcaudal shields begins some distance behind the anus, and is contiuued nearly to the tip of the tail. Fig. 1. Foot of Hemidactylus homaiolepis. Colour above grey, rather irregularly spotted with black. Tail with about 7 transverse black bands, the last five extending all round and forming rings. Lower parts of head and body without dark marks. Total length of the only perfect specimen 2*5 inches, from nose to anus 1'2. A larger specimen, apparently an adult male, measures 1*5 inch from nose to anus. Two specimens only were obtained, one of which has a perfect tail. The nearest described form is probably Liurus ornatus 1 from Western Africa ; but that is much larger, and has both enlarged tubercles on the back and femoral pores. Hemidactylus homceolepis must be placed in the genus Liurus, if the latter be considered distinct. PRISTURUS RUPESTRIS. Pristurus rupestris, W . Blanf., Eastern Persia, ii. p. 350, pi. xxiii. fig. 1. Several specimens. All agree with those from Muscat and the Persian Gulf, and differ from P. flavipunctatus, Riipp., in wanting a rudimentary crest on the hinder part of the back, the row of enlarged and more or less spinose scales commencing on the upper surface of the tail just above the anus in P. rupestris, whereas it begins near the middle of the back in males, or a little farther back, above the pelvis, in females, as stated in Ruppell's original description '. The limbs and the toes too are considerably longer in P. rupestris, though still far inferior to those of P. longipes3. The latter species is found at Aden and Massowa, whilst P. rupestris occurs in Socotra, at Muscat in Arabia, and on the island of Kharg (Karrack) in the Persian Gulf, near Bushire. P. flavipunctatus was originally obtained from Massowa ; and there are also specimens in the British Museum said to be from Syria. In P. longipes, according to Peters, the length of the hind foot, including the longest toe, considerably exceeds that of the head, whilst in P. flavipunctatus the length of the hind foot equals the distance from the end of the snout to the ear-opening. There are typical specimens of P. flavipunctatus in the British Museum, received from Dr. Riippell himself; and in these the length of the hind foot 1 Gray, Oat. Lizards B. M. p. 157. 2 Neue Wirbelthiere, Amphibien, p. 17. 3 Peters, Monatsber. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1871, p. 566. |