P r o c t o t r e t u s m u l t im a c u l a t u s .
P late IX .— F i s . 1.
Corpore suhdepresso ; capite squamis numerosis parvis tecto ; auribus parvis, margine
lævi ; seriebus quatuor squamarum supralabialium ; squamis temporum imbricatis ;
collo granuloso; femorum facie posteriore parlïm granulosâ, partim squamis imbricatis
tectâ.
Proctotretus multimaculatus, Bibr. 1. c. p. 291.
Habitat, Bahia Blanca, Northern Patagonia.
D e s c r i p t io n .— T h e b ody depressed an d w id e— th e h e a d trian g u la r, th e muzzle ra th e r acute.
No strils p rom in en t an d n e a rly ro und. Scales o f th e h e a d very, small a n d numerous ; those of
th e tem p le rhomboidal a n d im b ricated . T h e r e are four series o f small irre g u la r scales betwe en
th e labial a n d sub-orbitar. T h e sides o f th e neck are wholly g ra n u la r ; th e scales o f th e body
very small ; those o f th e u p p e r p a rts rhomboidal, flat w ith v e ry low carina, a n d obtuse a t
th e a p e x—b en e a th th e y are also small a n d rhomboidal ; th e p o sterio r surface o f th e th ig h s is
gra n u la r, b u t, as in some o th e r species, th e re is, n e a r th e groin, a d is tin c t p a tc h o f imbricated
scales like those o f th e in fe rio r surface. T h e tail is b ro a d to some distance from th e origin,
a n d th e n tap e rs to th e ex trem ity . T h e scales o f th e ta il are ra th e r small, sh o rt a n d obtuse.
T h e a n te rio r e x trem ity p lac ed aga inst th e sides re ache s ab o u t two-thirds th e distance
towards th e po sterio r, an d th e la tte r re ach e s forwards to th e shoulder.
T h e g ro u n d colour o f th is species is gray, with n um ero u s small black spots, some o f w hich
are b o rd e red w ith white. T h e u n d e r p a rts are white, a n d in one specimen in M r. D a rw in ’s
collection th e re are on th e belly numerous d is tin c t small black spots. I l i s desc ription o f th e
colours is as follows :— “ Colours above singula rly m ottled. T h e small scales are coloured
brown, white, yellowish re d a n d blue, all d irty , a n d th e brown forming symmetrical clouds.
B en e a th white, with reg u la r spots o f brown o n th e belly.”
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines.
Length of the h e a d ................................... 0 8
of the body .............................. 1 8
of the tail ................................... 8 0
Total length ... 5 6
Length of anterior extremity 1 0
of posterior extremity 1 6
Found a t Baliia Blanca, on the northern confines of P atagonia. The following
remarks of Mr. Darwin on the habits of this species are very interesting. “ In
its depressed form and general appearance it partakes of some of the characters
D