Of the family of tailed batrachians, Ceylon does not furnish a single example; but of those without this appendage, the island, as above remarked, affords many varieties; seven distinguishable species pertaining to the genus rana, or true frogs with webs to the hind feet; two to the genus bufo, or true toads, and five to the Polypedates, or East Indian “tree-frogs;” besides a few others in allied genera.  The “tree-frog,” whose toes are terminated by rounded discs which assist it in climbing, possesses, in a high degree, the faculty of changing its hues; and one as green as a leaf to-day, will be found grey and spotted like the bark to-morrow.  One of these beautiful little creatures, which had seated itself on the gilt pillar of a lamp on my dinner-table, became in a few minutes scarcely distinguishable in colour from the or-molu ornament to which it clung.

* * * * *

List of Ceylon Reptiles.

I am indebted to Dr. Gray and Dr. Guenther, of the British Museum, for a list of the reptiles of Ceylon; but many of those new to Europeans have been carefully described by the late Dr. Kelaart in his Prodromus Fauna Zeylanicae and its appendices, as well as in the 13th vol. Magaz.  Nat.  Hist. (1854).

      SAURA.

  Hydrosaurus
    salvator, Wagler.
  Monitor
    dracaena, Linn.
  Riopa
    punctata, Linn.
    Hardwickii, Gray.
  Brachymeles
    Bonitae, Dum. & Bib.
  Tiliqua
    rufescens, Shaw.
  Eumeces
    Taprobanius, Kel.
  Nessia
    Burtoni, Gray.
  Acontias
    Layardi, Kelaart.
  Argyrophis
    bramicus, Daud.
  Lygosoma
    fallax, Peters.
  Rhinophis
    oxyrhynchus, Schn.
    punctatus, J.  Muell
    philippinus, J.  Muell
    homolepis, Hempr.
    planiceps, Peters.
    Blythii, Kelaart.
    melanogaster, Gray.
  Uropeltis
    grandis, Kelaart.
    saffragamus, Kelaart.
  Silybura
    Ceylonica, Cuv.
  Hemidactylus
    frenatus, Schleg.
    Leschenaultii, Dum. & Bib.
    trihedrus, Daud.
    maculatus, Dum. & Bib.
    Piresii, Kelaart.
    Coctoei, Dum. & Bib.
    pustulatus, Dum.
    sublaevis, Cantor.
  Peripia
    Peronii, Dum. & Bib.
  Gymnodactylus
    Kandianus, Kelaart.
  Sitana
    Ponticereana, Cuv.
  Lyriocephalus
    scutatus, Linn.
  Ceratophora
    Stoddartii, Gray.
    Tennentii, Guenther.
  Otocryptis
    bivittata, Wiegm.
  Salea Jerdoni, Gray.
  Calotes
    ophiomachus, Merr.
    nigrilabris, Peters.
    versicolor, Daud.
    Rouxii, Dum. & Bib.
    mystaceus, Dum.
  Chameleo
    vulgaris, Daud.