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Show 1874.] MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON TWO NEW LIZARDS. 657 large Lizard is mentioned, which is said to inhabit Mesopotamia, to be longer and larger than a man's arm, and to make holes like those of Foxes. The description evideutly refers to a Uromastix. At the same time I had heard from Major St. John of a similar large Lizard which he had once seen abundantly in the plains near Bushire, and which he assured m e closely resembled Centrotrachelus asmussi, the great Spine-tailed Lizard of Central Persia. I concluded that both these Lizards were probably identical; and as the species was unknown, I called M r . Sclater's attention to their existence, in the hope that he might succeed in obtaining specimens. In this, I a m happy to say, he has been successful. Of the Bushire Lizard a young example in spirit has been sent to him by the Hon. Evelyn Ellis, F.Z.S., who, after much trouble and inquiry, succeeded in inducing the natives to bring it to him ; whilst three of the Meso-potamian Lizard were brought from Basrah (Bussora of some maps) alive by Captain Phillips, and presented to the Society's Gardens, where they only lived for a short time. On examining these specimens, it appears that the Basrah animal is quite distinct from that of Bushire, the former being a true Uromastix, closely allied to the African U. spinipes, whilst the latter belongs to Strauch's genus Centrotrachelus, founded in 1863 (Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Pet. vi. p. 479) for tbe remarkable Central-Persian Lizard already mentioned. This genus is distinguished from Uromastix by the possession of much-enlarged tubercles in transverse rows on the back. The specimen from Bushire is very close to C. asmussi, but appears to me to differ specifically. It appears rather surprising that two Lizards so large and conspicuous as these Uromasticine forms should have hitherto escaped attention. One cause may be that during the winter season these Lizards appear but rarely; and it is highly probable that they hibernate. Major St. John informs m e that he has been all over the plains near Bushire in winter without seeing any Centrotra-cheli, but that he met with them once when riding from Shif, a small fort opposite Bushire, to Borasjtin in M a y - t h e only occasion on which he had left the regular road in summer. The Lizards were sitting outside their holes in the evening; and a bull-terrier which was with him killed two, one of which attacked the dog. This is rather surprising; for all forms of Uromastix and its allies are very gentle animals, and, as a rule, never attempt to bite even when captured. It is only during the winter that the hot sandy plains of Mesopotamia and Southern Persia are ever, as a rule, crossed by travellers in the day-time. In the summer months all travelling is usually done by night: at least, this is the practice of the inhabitants ; and I know from experience how difficult it is to induce them to march in the day-time. All species of Uromastix appear to inhabit semi-desert plains; and such are precisely the places which are hottest and most unpleasant to traverse in the day-time. The species of Uromastix, Centrotrachelus, and Liolepis are distinguished from the other Agamoid Lizards by their peculiar |