TRIBUS—EUNOTES. _Bibron._
FAMILIA—TROPIDURIDÆ. _Mihi._
TROPIDOLEPIDIENS. _Bibr._
GENUS—Tropidurus. (In part.) _Weigmann._
PROCTOTRETUS. _Bibr._
CHARACTER GENERICUS.—_Pori femorales_ nulli. _Pori præ-anales_ in
maribus tantùm. _Cristâ dorsalis_ nulla. _Dentes palatini._ _Squamæ_
imbricatæ; _dorsales_ carinatæ.
The genus which I take the present favourable opportunity to illustrate,
formed a section or sub-genus of the genus _Tropidurus_, according to
Weigmann, who, however, was acquainted with two species only; _Pr.
Chilensis_ and _Pr. nigromaculatus_. Of the varieties of the former of
these, that author has made no less than three species ; but these have
been very properly reduced by M. Bibron to one only. The last-named
excellent erpetologist described several additional species, which had
been brought from Chile, by M. D’Orbigny, and others ; and I received,
some years since, from Capt. King, three or four species which were
found by him in the same locality, in the course of his well-known
survey. The number of species altogether, hitherto known, amounts to
ten; to which I have now the opportunity of adding four entirely new,
forming part of the interesting collection of Reptilia made by Mr.
Darwin. One of them, _Pr. Kingii_, was already in my collection, amongst
those which were given me by Capt. King. The genus, therefore, of which,
but lately, two species only were known, now consists of fourteen ; and
it is highly probable that more may yet be obtained by more prolonged
and extensive investigation in the same districts.
Thus of the species now described two were known to Weigmann, and
described by him, namely, _Chilensis_, and _nigromaculatus_. I received
from Capt. King, _Chilensis_, _pictus_, _cyanogaster_, _Kingii_,
_Fitzingerii_, and, from other sources, _Chilensis_, _pictus_,
_Weigmannii_. Bibron describes the whole of these, excepting _Kingii_,
and in addition to them _tenuis_, _pectinatus_, _signifer_. In Mr.
Darwin’s collection are found all those described by Bibron, excepting
_signifer_; and in addition _Kingii_ now first described, and the
following species never before observed, namely, _Darwinii_, _gracilis_,
_Bibronii_.
Although the form of the whole of the species much more nearly
approximates that of the Agamidæ than most others, they are far removed
from that family by several important characters, which it is
unnecessary here to detail.