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Show REPTILES. 27 The specimens brought home by Mr. Darwin were from Port Desire in Patagonia, and the following observations occur in his MS. notes :-" Centr; of the back yellowish brown, sometimes with a strong tinge of dark green ; sides clouded with blackish brown ; in very great numbers under stones; makes a grating noise when taken hold of; after death loses its darker colours. " A specimen being kept for some days in a tin box, changed colour into an uniform grey, without the black cJoudings. I thought I noticed some change after catching and bringing home these animals, but could observe no instantaneous change." I have considered these specimens as belonging to the species to which I l1ave assigned them, because they exactly agree with Mons. Bibron's description. It is, however, very possible that an opportunity of comparing them with those obtained by Gaudichaud, would show them to be distinct, as it rarely happens that the same species of reptile is found on the opposite sides of the American Continent. GENus-NAULTINUS. Gmy. NAULTINUS GRAYIJ. PLATE XIV.-FrG. 2. Omnino vi1·idis; jTonte subconcavo; squamulis capitis planis. DESCRIPTION.-Head thick, swollen across the posterior part, concave between the eyes, and forwards nearly to the snout, which is rounded. Scales of the head larger towards the fore part, nearly flat. Eyes round, large; ears longitudinally ovaL Body covered with small nearly equal scales. Tail round, one-fifth longer than the body. Limbs short, the anterior, when placed against the side, reaching but little more than half way to the thigh; the posterior reaching about two-thirds the distance towards the shoulder. Toes short; on the anterior foot the first is the shortest, then the second, the fifth, and the fourth ; on the posterior increasing in the same series; all compressed towards the extremity, and all furnished with small curved close claws. The colour is a fine green. It was taken at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It lives on trees, and is said to make a laughing noise. . This species greatly resembles Naultinus Elegans• of Mr. ~ray, of whiCh a beautiful specimen is in the British Museum. Upon a comparison of the two, • See Fauna of New Zealand, p. 203. Zool. Misc. P· 72. |