From Nature by B. Waterhouse Hawkins,
in Lithotint C. Hullmandel’s Patent.
| 1. | Proctotretus | Fitzingerii. | Nat. Size. |
| 2. | Cyanogaster |
Capite squamis lævibus, non imbricatis; margine anteriore aurium granuloso; squamis supralabialibus ovalibus, in serie unicâ dispositis; squamis dorsalibus parum carinatis, posticè obtusis. Facie posteriore femorum præcipuè granulosâ sed portione, caudam versus, squamis majoribus, rhomboideis imbricatis tectâ.
Habitat, Patagonia.
Description.—General form thick and robust, the head short being nearly as broad as it is long. The muzzle slightly rounded. Scales of the head flat, small and numerous. Two scales only behind the rostral and between those which are pierced by the nostrils. Those over the nose and around the occipital scales being larger and more regularly arranged than the others. The ear is large, oval, the anterior margin having, towards the upper part, about three small, oval, granular, very slightly projecting scales. Temples covered with small, rounded or slightly hexagonal scales, which are scarcely imbricated. A single range of rather broad oval scales between the orbit and the upper lip. Scales of the sides of the neck, and above and behind the shoulder small, granular. The trunk thick; scales of the back very small, imbricated, very slightly carinated, and not pointed behind; those of the under parts smooth and rhomboidal. The legs are short and robust. The anterior pair, placed against the side do not extend backwards more than halfway to the thigh. The posterior pair do not quite reach the arms. The posterior face of the thighs is covered with granular scales, excepting a large patch near the groin rising to near the upper surface of the thigh, which are imbricated and rhomboidal, similar to those of the inferior surface of the thigh. The scales of the upper part of the toes are smooth, those beneath have one or two slight carinæ.
This species varies very much in colour; three or four tolerably distinct varieties may be noticed, but they often pass more or less into each other. As I have only one of these varieties in my possession, I quote the following description from Mons. Bibron’s account of the specimens in the French Museum.
Var. A. Les parties supérieures sont grises, ou bien d’un brun marron plus ou moins clair. Il règne au long du cou et du dos quatre series de taches noires, bordées de blanc en arrière. La queue et les membres offrent des bandes transversales anguleuse, d’un teint marron noirâtre, alternant avec des bandes semblables mais de couleur blanche. Les régions inférieures aussi sont blanches, excepté la gorge, qui est parcourue par des raies confluentes brunes. D’autres raies d’un brun marron sont imprimées verticalement, sur les lèvres.
Var. B. Cette variété se distingue de la précédente, en ce que le dessus de ses membres est ponctué de noirâtre, et que les quatre séries de taches qui ornent le dos de la première variété sont appliquées ici sur un fond fauve jaunâtre. Puis la gorge est verdâtre et le ventre noir, marbré de blanc.
Var. C. Le dessus du corps est uniformement peint d’un vert olive. Le dessus du cou, le milieu de la poitrine et celui du ventre sont d’un noir profond.
| DIMENSIONS. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Inches. | Lines. | ||
| Length | of the head | 0 | 7 |
| of the body | 2 | 8 | |
| of the tail | 4 | 2 | |
| Total length | 7 | 7 | |
| Length | of anterior extremity | 1 | 2 |
| of posterior extremity | 2 | 0 | |
This species agrees with Pr. Darwinii and Weigmannii, and in some degree with Pr. Kingii, in having a portion of the posterior face of the thighs covered with imbricated scales. This is a character, which although existing in all those which I have named, is found to obtain in very different degrees; in Tr. Weigmannii being very distinctly marked, and in Tr. Kingii very slightly so, and in some specimens scarcely notable. It is probable, that var. B., and possibly A. also, of Mons. Bibron, may be Pr. Kingii; but I have not had the opportunity of ascertaining this from the actual examination of the specimens.
Found by Mr. Darwin at Port Desire, and at Santa Cruz, in Patagonia.
Squamis capitis neque imbricatis nec carinatis; temporum imbricatis, subcarinatis, margine rotundato; aurium margine anteriore simplici; squamis dorsalibus rhombeis, laxis, carinâ posticè acutâ; femorum facie posteriore omninò granulosâ; corpore suprà olivaceo, fascia utrinque longitudinali flavescenti; abdomine cœruleo.
Habitat, Valparaiso, and Valdivia, Chile.
Description.—It has been well observed by M. Bibron that this species offers at first sight somewhat the general aspect of the genus Algira; the acute points of the dorsal and lateral scales and the general form giving very much that appearance.
The head is of moderate size, somewhat deflexed; the scales moderate, flat and smooth; those of the temples are slightly carinated, imbricated and rounded: those of the sides of the neck small, not granular, but rhomboidal and imbricated. There is but a single series of oblong scales between the labial ones and the orbit. The margin of the ear is entire and simple; the scales of the back are lozenge-shaped, the carina of moderate height but prolonged into an acute point. Amongst those of the sides of the neck and belly are a few which are notched at the margin.[2] The scales of the posterior surface of the thigh are wholly granular.
2. This is contrary to the character given by M. Bibron, who states that the whole of these are entire.