FIRST REPORT

OST THE

COLLECTION OE LIZARDS IN THE

COLOMBO MUSEUM,

Original from and digitizedPrice by National12jc. [2 Universityannas]. of Singapore Libraries Original from and digitized by National University of Singapore Libraries FIRST REPORT

on the

COLLECTION OP LIZARDS IN THE COLOMBO MUSEUM.

The following List of Lizards recorded from Ceylon is compiled from the British Museum Catalogue, by Dr. Boulenger, now in course of publication, and is intended to show to what extent they are represented in the Collection of the Colombo Museum. The synonomy is restricted to references to such books and papers as are contained in the Museum Library. A. HALY, September, 1886. Director.

LACERTILIA.

Sub-Order I.—Lacertilia vera. Family I.—Geckonidce. I.—Gymnodactylus, Spix Cat, No. 1 uebulosus, Bedd. 1 2 triedrus, Gthr. 2 3 frenatus, Gthr. 3 II.—Gonatodbs, Fitz. 1 kandianus, Kel. 4 2 gracilis, Bedd. 5 3 jerdonii, Theob. 6 III.—Hemidactyltjs, Cuv. 1 frenatus, D. et B. 7 2 gleadovii, Murray S 3 triedrus, Daud. I 4 depressus, Gray 19 6 leschnaultii, D. et B. 10 6 platyurus, Schn. 12 IV.—Gehyra, Gray 1 mutilata, Wiegm. V.—Lepidodactylus, Fitz. 1 ceylonensis, Blgr. 14 VI.—Gecko, Laur. 1 monarehus, D. et B. 15

Gonatodes — 16

Do. — 17 47—86 Original from and digitized by National University of Singapore Libraries ( 2 )

Family II.—Ayamides. I.—Sit ana, Guv. Cat. No. 1 ponticeriana, Guv...... 18 II.—Otocryptis, Wiegm.

1 bivittata, Wiegm...... 19 iii.—cophotis, Peters 1 ceylanica, Peters ...... 20 iv.—Ceratophora, Gray 1 stoddartii, Gray ...... 21 2 tennentii, Gtkr...... 22 3 aspera, Gtlir...... 23 V.—Lyriocephalus, Merr.

1 scutatus ...... 24 VI.—Calotes, Cuv. 1 versicolor, Daud...... 25 2 mystaceus, D. et B...... 26 3 liolepis, Boul...... 27 4 ophiomaclius, Merr...... 28 5 nigrilabris, J'eters ...... 29 6 liocephalus, Gthr...... go

? ...... 31 '

1 Gymnodaotylus nebulosus, Beddome. Gthr. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 226. Boul. Cat. I., p. 34, pi. iv., fig. 1. frenatus (juv.) Gthr. Ann. Mag., N. H. (4) IX., 1872, p. 86. Southern India; Ceylon. This must be very rare; there are no specimens in the collec¬ tion, and there isonly one Ceylon specimen in the British Museum, collected by G. H. K. Thwaites, Esq.

2 Gymnodactyi.us triedrus, Gunther. Gthr. Kept. Brit. Ind., p. 113. Boul. Cat. I., p. 38. Geckoella punctata Gray. Proc. Zool. Soc., 1867, p. 99, pi. ix. Ceylon. No specimens. The British Museum has several specimens of this species, but the Catalogue does not state how obtained, or from what part of the Island. Mr. W. Ferguson says (Letter on the Reptile Fauna of Ceylon, 1877, p. 12): "I have never seen this gecko, and do not know what part of Ceylon it is found in."

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3 Gymnodactylus frenatds, Gunther. Gt.hr. Rept. Brit. Jnd., p. 113., pi. xii., fig. d. Boul. Oat. I, p. 42. Ceylon. Four specimens : one presented by W. Ferguson, Esq., and three from Ramboda, presented by E. Woodhouse, Esq. A hill species.

4 Gonatodes kandianus, Kelaart.

Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 186. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 114 Boul. Cat. I., p. 68. Southern India ; Ceylon. No specimens.

5 Gonatodes gracilis, Beddome. ? Gymnodactylus Malabaricus. Jerd. Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XXII., 1853, p. 469. gracilis. Gthr. Proc. Zool. Soc., 1875, p. 226. Gonatodes gracilis. Boul. Cat. I., p. 70, pi. vi., fig. 5. Southern India ; Ceylon. No specimens.

6 Gonatodes jerdonii, Theobald. Boul. Cat. I., p. 71. Southern India ; Ceylon. One specimen from Dikoya, presented by E. E. Green, Esq.

7 Hemidactylus frenatds, Dumeril et Bibron. Kelaart. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 161. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 10S. Stolickza, Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 96. Boul. Cat I., p. 120. China; Indo-China; Malay Peninsula; Southern India; Islands of the fVestern Pacific and Indian Oceans ; St. Helena. The commonest of the Indian Geckoes. It occurs in houses, under stones, and on trees (Stolickza, loc. cit.). Numerous specimens. Original from and digitized by National University of Singapore Libraries ( 4 )

8 Hemidactylus gleadovii, Murray. Hemidactylus maculatus. Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 158. Gthr. Rept. Writ. Ind., p. 107. Stolickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 94. gleadovii. Boul. Cat. I., p. 129. East Indian Continent; S. China ; Ceylon. Numerous specimens, Western and Northern Provinces.

9 Hemidactylus triedrus, Daudin. Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 157. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 107. Stolickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 93. Boul. Cat. I., p. 133. India; Ceylon. Found in ant-hills and such-like places (Ferguson, loc. cit.). Numerous specimens, Western and Northern Provinces.

10 Hemidactylus depressus, Gray. Hemidactylus pieresii, Kel. Prodr, Faun. Zeyl., p. 159. Sto¬ lickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 94. depressus, Boul. Cat. I., p. 94. Malayan Peninsula; Ceylon. Three specimens, Colombo.

11 Hemidactylus leschnaultii, Gray. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 109. Stolickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 97. Boul. Cat. I., p. 136. coctrni (non D. et B.) Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 160. coctmi (part) Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 109. India; Ceylon; Malayan Peninsula. Several specimens, Western and Northern Provinces.

12 Hemidactylus platyurus, Schneider. Gecko marginatus. Cuv. R. A. v., p. 77. Nycteridium schneideri. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 111. platyurus. Stolickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 103.

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Hemidactylus platyurus. Boul. Cat. I., p. 143. N. India; S. China; Indo- China ; Malayan Peninsula; East Indian Archipelago ; Ceylon. Specimens were sent by Kelaart to the British Museum, but it does not seem to have been met with since. (See Ferguson loc. cit.).

13 Gehyka mutilata, Wiegmann. Hemidactylus peronii. Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 187. Peripia peronii. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 110. Stolicbza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p 103. mutilata. Gthr. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 168. Gehyra Mutilata. Boul. Cat. I., p. 148. Mascarene Islands; Seychelles; Ceylon, Burmah ; Malay Peninsula and Archipelago ; New Guinea, Western Mexico. Two specimens, presented by W. Ferguson, Esq.

14 Lepidodactyles ceylonensis, Boulenger. Boul. Cat. I., p. 164, pi. xiii., fig. 3 Ceylon. One specimen from Gampola, presented by W. Ferguson, Esq. The British Museum has the type specimen collected by Col. Beddome, also at Gampola.

15 Gecko monarches, Gray. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 103. Boul. Cat. I., p. 187. East Indies from Ceylon, and the Malay Peninsula to Amboyna. No specimens. The British Museum only possesses one example from Ceylon, presented by Dr. Kelaart.

16 Gonatodes ?

An abnormal specimen with a forked tail from the Central Pro¬ vince, presented by G. J. P. Boss, Esq. I am unable to identify this with any species mentioned in the British Museum Catalogue.

17 ? Six specimens from the Maldives, presented by W. C. Ros- sett, Esq. 1 cannot identify them with any species recorded from Ceylon.

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18 sltana ponticeriana, Cuvier. Cuv. R. A. v., p. 61, pi. 16, fig. (?). Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 164. G thr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 135. Stolickza Journ. As. Soc. Beng., XLI., 1872, p. 108. Boul. Cat. I., p. 270. minor. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 135, pi. xiv., fig. A. India ; Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

19 Otocrtptis bivittata, Wiegmann. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 127. Boul. Cat. I., p. 271. Ceylon. Three specimens from Ramboda and the Western Province, in a had state.

20 Cophotis ceylanica, Peters. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 131. Boul. Cat. I., p. 275. Ceylon. Two from Ramboda, presented by E. Woodhouse, Esq., and J. R. Jenkins, Esq. ; one from Le Vallon estate, presented by W. Ferguson, Esq.

21 Ceratophora stoddartii, Gray. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 129., pi. xiii., fig. F. Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl. p. 129. Boul. Cat. I., p. 277. Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the hill districts.

-22 Ceratophora tennentii, Gunther. Gthr. in Pennant's "Ceylon," p. 281, with figure. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 130. Boul. Cat. I., p. 278. Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the hill districts.

23 Ceratophora aspera, Gunther. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 131, pi. iii., fig. G. Boul. Cat. I. p. 278. - Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the hill districts. Original from and digitized by National University of Singapore Libraries ( 7 )

24 Lyriocephalus sCutatus, Linnceus.

Lacerta scutata. Linn. I., p. 201. Lyriocephalus margiritaceus. Cuv. R. A., p. 57, pi. 15, fig. 2. scutatus, Kel. Prodr. Faun, Zeyl,, p. 166, Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 128. Boul. Cat. I., p. 281. Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the hill districts, and one from Avisawalla, presented by W. F. Byrde, Esq.

25 Calotes veksicolor, Daudin.

Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 170. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 140. Boul. Cat. I., p. 321. Ceylon through India eastwards to Tennasserim; Cochin China, and Southern-China ; ivest-ivards to Afghanistan and Beluchistan.

The very common brown lizard, known as the blood-sucker. Mr. W. Ferguson remarks (loc. cit., p. 14) : "The power of the male to change its colour entitles it to the name versicolor, but then the other species of the genus have also the same power of changing their colours at certain seasons." A lady informed me that she had seen one of these lizards escape the pursuit of two crows by running up a casuarina trunk, and changing its colour so as to deceive them. That the crows' sense of smell assured them their prey was close by, was evident by the way in which thejr hunted round the base of the tree ; they, however, could not distinguish the lizard from the bark, and finally flew away.

26 Calotes hystaceus, Dumeril et Bibron.

Blyth, in Appendix to Kelaart, p. 47. Gthr. Rept. Brit Ind., p. 141. Boul. Cat. I., p. 325. Arrakan; Pegu; Tenasscrim ; Siam; Nicobars; Ceylon.

" This species was sent by Dr. Kelaart to the Calcutta Museum in 1852, but I have not been able to procure a specimen of it, and I do not know what part of Ceylon it is found in." (Ferguson, loc. cit., p. 14.) The British Museum contains no specimen from Ceylon. Mr. Ferguson further remarks that Mr. E. Layard obtained a specimen, and that it is probably found in the north of the Island ; he also quotes a description of it as a guide to collectors.

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27 Capotes liolepis, Boulenger. Calotes nemoricola (non Jerd.). Gthr. Proc. Zool. Soc., 1869, p. 507, liolepis. Boul. Cat. I., p. 327, pi. XXV,, fig. 2. Ceylon. No specimens.

28 Calotes opi-iiomachus, Merrem. Lacerta calotes. Linn. S. N. i., p. 207. Calotes ophiomachus. Kel. Prodr. Faun. Zeyl., p. 169. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 142. Boul. Cat. I., p. 327. Ceylon. Numerous specimens from the Western and Eastern Provinces, and Rattota,

29 Calotes nigrilabris, Peters. Gthr. Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 143. Boul. Cat. I., p. 328. Ceylon. INumerous specimens from the hill districts.

30 Calotes liocephalus, Giinther. Cthr. Ann. et Mag. N. H. (4) IX., 1872, p. 86. Boul. Cat. I., p. 329, pi. XXVI. Ceylon. One specimen from the Agra Patanas. Presented by I~I. E. Daveran, Esq,

31 Calotes ? Two specimens collected in the Northern Province, which I have not yet been able to identify.

GEORGE J. A. SKEEN, GOVERNMENT MUSTEK, COLOMBO, CEYLON.

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