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Show 626 MR. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [May 16, Pinang. Individuals 15 ft. in length are not uncommon ; some attaining to 20 ft. and upwards are reported to occur. In rivers a single one will often appropriate to himself a limited district, which, if it happens to be in the vicinity of a village, will soon be perceived in the loss of the grazing cattle. Instances of Malays, who, to avenge the loss of a relative, have watched the crocodile, and by diving from below plunged a kris into its heart, are on record. The eggs are white, the shell hard, of a cylindrical form, upwards of 3 in. in length, and about 1| in. in diameter." Hab. The British Museum Catalogue gives India, Ceylon, Burma, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Order SCIUAMATA. Suborder LACERTILIA. Family GECKONIDCE. 28. GYMNODACTYLUS MARMORATUS (Kuhl). Gymnodactylus marmoratus, Blgr. Cat. Liz. i. p. 44. Of this species, which has not previously been recorded from the Malav Peninsula, I obtained one specimen on Penang Hill, at an elevation of 2000 feet, on 31st March 1898. Mr. Butler has since sent a specimen from Perak to the British Museum. Colour (in lite). Above warm yellowish brown with very rich dark brown markings, tail banded alternately light and dark. The small tubercles along sides of body show as white spots. Beneath purplish buff, tail yellowish mottled with dark brown. Iris a narrow red ring, remainder yellow, closely vermiculated with dark brown. Size. Snout to vent 64 mm.; tail (end broken) 50 mm. Hab. Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, Borneo. 29. GYMNODACTYLUS PULCHELLUS (Gray). Gymnodactylus pulchellus, Cantor, p. 25; Blgr. Cat. Liz. i. p. 46; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1896, p. 863. Localities. Penang Hills, 2000 to 2400 feet. Larut Hills, Perak, 3400 to 4400 feet. Singapore (vide British Museum Catalogue). Habits. Nocturnal, usually living on rocks, sometimes entering houses. They bite fiercely when handled, and can give a sharp pinch. Colour (in life). Upper surfaces light yellowish brown, with five dark rich brown bands, bordered with white, sulphur- or chrome-yellow. Upper surface of limbs uniform light yellowish brown like the back. Tail light brown (in young specimens nearly white), with sharply defined very dark brown rings; these may be as many as nine in number, and are about twice the width of the pale interspaces ; the tip of the tail may be either white or dark brown. Under surfaces bluish buff. Iris golden brown. Size. The largest I have measured were from Penang Hill. |
