OCR Text |
Show '8/1.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON INDIAN REPTILES. 155 The posterior dilatation is 3" 3'" in diameter, and 3" 5'" in length. The greatest external length of the abdominal plates is 7", and their narrowest portion measured antero-posteriorly is 2" 6'". The inguinal plates are triangular, and in close contact with the abdominal ones, and form a zigzag suture with each other: their greatest length is in the mesial line, 4" 3'" ; and the greatest breadth across the anterior margin of one is 4" 5'". The odd and inguinal sutures are marked with many raised lines bearing tubercles in some cases. The lines are rather weak for the size of the specimen. The abdominal plates are marked with lines of the same character as in the former ; but the tubercles are much more numerous, especially on the external and internal portions, and on the former in particular they form well-marked, closely packed, shining papillae. There is a well-marked swelling anteriorly on the mesial line, with a slight depression on either side externally and posteriorly; the vertebral line is concave behind the swelling within about two inches of the end, where it is again convex. The general surface is not so rough compared with the great size of the animal as in T. gangeticus. The wavy raised lines and the tubercles that they bear are more sparse and coarser on the vertebral line, and along the lines of the sutures of the costal plates, and not merely on the vertebral line, as observed by Theobald. The chief differences that separate it from T. gangeticus are the less developed character of the osseous portion of the sternum, and the relatively finer character of its sculpturing on both aspects. The toes are broadly webbed, and the claws are strong conical structures, the largest being about one inch in length. T. jeudi, which is doubtfully assigned by Dr. Gray to the island of Java, was described from a skull in the British Museum. This I have carefully compared with the skull of the specimen from which the foregoing description is derived, and cannot detect any characters by which to separate the two. VARANUS LUNATUS, Gray ; Gthr. 1. c. p. 66. This species appears to be common in the Agra district. The adults are olive-brown above, yellower on the tail and underparts, and very obscurely banded on the sides, with a darker tint of the same colour as the upper parts, where the banding is scarcely perceptible. It is more marked, however, on the tail. Some of the specimens are black, spotted on the sides and back in almost the same way as V. draccena. The largest specimen is 451 inches, of which the tail measures 26". These lizards are much infected by ticks about the anal region, neighbourhood of head, and body generally. VARANUS FLAVESCENS, Gray; Gthr. 1. c. p. 65. I have received a young specimen of this species from Agra. It is light yellow, banded with brown. |