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Show 656 MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON TWO N E W LIZARDS. [Nov. 17, now enabled by the kindness of Mr. Blanford to exhibit, have in general characters a slight tendency towards those of Acrocephaluspa-lustris, and are thus tbe more interesting as demonstrating a gradation from Hypolais to Acrocephalus. They are also interesting because, Hypolais rama being so very closely allied to the rare Hypolais caliyata of eastern Europe, differing merely in the size of the bill, it may be inferred that the eggs of those two species will probably closely resemble each other. I have for long tried to obtain authentic eggs of a species which appears to form a connecting link between Acrocephalus and Hypolais in structure and habits, but has hitherto been classed with the former, Acrocephalus dumetorum, Blyth (magnirostris, Lilj.) the eggs of which I believe will be found to resemble either those of A-crocephalus palustris or to approach nearer to those of some of the Hypolais group. Dr. Jerdon (B. of India, ii. p. 156) describes them as " pearl-white, with minute scattered specks of rufous, chiefly at the large end;" but as he himself never obtained the nest, there is some doubt as to whether these really were the eggs of this species, especially as he describes the eggs of Hypolais rama as being pure white. There can be no doubt about the authenticity of the eggs of this last species obtained by Mr. Blanford, as he shot the female as she left her nest. I am enabled to exhibit from m y own collection eggs of all the European species of Hypolais except H. caliyata, viz. those of H. icterina, H. polyglotta, H. olivetorum, H. pallida, H. languida, and H. opaca, from which it will be seen that there is a distinct gradation in the eggs as in the birds themselves towards Acrocephalus, the two nearest in each group being Hypolais rama and Acrocephalus palustris. Unfortunately, the nest of eggs of H. rama which I now exhibit will leave this country in a few days; but I trust that the figure given of them (Plate LXXIX.) will serve to show their peculiar interest as demonstrating the gradation between the two groups. 8. Description of two Uromasticine Lizards from Mesopotamia and Southern Persia. By W . T. B L A N F O R D, F.R.S.J F.Z.S. [Eeceived November 11, 1874.] (Plate LXXX.) I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Sclater for an opportunity of examining tbe two very interesting Lizards described below. Both are, I think, new to science, although one of them appears to have been noticed as long ago as the latter end of the last century by Olivier, who in 1807 published an account of his travels in several eastern countries, under the title of «Voyage dans l'Empire Othman, l'Egypte et la Perse.' In this work, vol. ii. p. 428, a |
