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638 DR. J. ANDERSON ON REPTILES AND [June 18, near Aden, but in the British Museum there are examples from Muscat1, from the Sinaitic peninsula, and one from Arabia3 presented by the late Sir Richard Burton, and, therefore, probably from Midian. 2. PRISTURUS FLAVIPUNCTATUS, Ruppell. Pristurus flavipunctatus, Ruppell, Neue Wirbelth. 1835, Rept. p. 17, pi. vi. fig. 3. 13 2 . Aden : " common on the rocks." 4 cf, 5 2 . Lahej: " common on the trunks of babool trees." In the British Museum there is a single example of this species from Shaikh Othman, presented by Marquis Doria. These specimens now prove the species to be distributed over the Aden district, where it appears to be quite as common as it is on the opposite African coast; but Colonel Yerbury informs m e that it is extremely difficult to capture owing to the rapidity of its movements. The spots which occur on the sides of this little Gecko of rocks aud trees are rich blood-red in freshly preserved specimens. They are very minute, generally not larger than twro granules, and are chiefly confined to the sides, from the axilla to the groin, and to the sides of the belly. The brilliancy of these spots induced me to examine them with a band-lens, when I was surprised to find that many of the supposed coloured spots of the lizard wrere due not to skin-pigment but to the presence of a minute mite simulating their colour. I submitted a portion of the skin to the high authority of Mr. Albert D. Michael, who was so good as to examine it, and he informs m e that the minute mite belongs to the genus Gekobia, and that it is either identical with, or very similar to, G. loricata, Berlese. Mr. Michael is disposed to think that it is identical, but says that there may be some minute differences which cau only be detected by actual dissection, and, moreover, that it is difficult to compare spirit-specimens, which shrink, with Berlese's drawing made from life ; be therefore leaves the question of the species in abeyance. Berlese's specimens were found, M r . Michael informs me, " in a precisely similar situation under the scales of Platydactylus muralis" (Tarentola mauritanica, Linn.) " in South Italy." In the males of these specimens the crest of tbe tail may be traced on to the sacral region, but not beyond it. All the specimens from Aden and its neighbourhood are much paler in colour than those from the opposite African coast. •* This species is plentiful everywhere on the rocks in Aden, from the sea-level to the summit of Shum-Shum. I wras at first under the impression that they basked in the hottest sunshine, but found afterwards that they almost entirely disappeared during the greatest heat of the day. Nevertheless, when they were moving 1 Boulenger, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (5) xx. 1887, p. 407. ' ' 2 Oat. Liz. B. M. 2nd ed. i. 1885, p. 14. |
