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Art. XXXI.—Description of a new Lizard, Naultinus pulcherrimus.
Plate.
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th November, 1876.]
In Vol. VI. of our “Transactions,” at page 449, occurs the following passage, in the Proceedings of the Nelson Association for the Promotion of Science and Industry:—
“The Secretary exhibited a green and brown spotted lizard, found by Mr. William Hunter, on his run on the Upper Matakitaki, and which he presented to the Association. The colours of this lizard are much more vivid and quite different from any of the other specimens of the lizard species in the Museum of the Nelson Institute.”—(May 21, 1874).
This appears to be the only recorded notice of this very handsome species of Naultinus which I have the pleasure of bringing under the notice of the Society, and for which I propose the name of Naultinus pulcherrimus.
Some time last year, the Hon. Mr. Mantell received at the Colonial Museum a specimen of this new lizard, preserved in spirits, from a Nelson donor, together with a very characteristic water-colour drawing from life, by Miss Nairn. Mr. Mantell at once detected, and called my attention to, the orange-coloured tongue in the picture, which formed a good distinguishing character—irrespective of the difference in colour—from the blue-tongued Naultinus elegans.
In August last, Mr. Arthur Atkinson brought over from Nelson two live specimens (adult and young) which he was good enough to present to me. These were exhibited at one of our former meetings, and, as I have since canonized them in spirits of wine, I beg now to submit a coloured drawing which I was able to complete before the colours had lost any of their brilliancy.
The following is a sufficient description of the species for purposes of identification:—
Naultinus pulcherrimus. sp. nov.
Adult: General colours, green and brown, the latter predominating, and presenting a very elegant pattern. The ground colour, so to speak, is a vivid reddish-brown, and the green, which is quite as bright as in Naultinus elegans, is displayed in large diamond-shaped spots, arranged symmetrically on both sides of the spine, down the whole course of the back. Those flanking the crown of the head are more irregular in form, and the two on each side of the nape are confluent. In front of the car, on each side of the head, there
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Naultinus Pulcherrimus, n. sp.
Catocala Traversii, n. sp.
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is a crescent spot of white, margined with brown, and down the side of the body to the insertion of the hind legs there is a series of detached spots of white, surrounded more or less with green. On the tail the same character of colouring is continued, but it loses its distinctness, the markings becoming more blended. The whole under-surface of the body is pale whitish, or silvery-brown; irides, brown; tongue and inside of month, pale orange, or flesh coloured. Head, .7; body, 2.5; tail, 3.5.
Young: General colour, bright pea-green, varied with transverse bands of paler green, and marked irregularly with minute specks of reddish-brown. Under surface, very pale green, inclining to white on the throat. From the angles of the mouth, and down each side of the body there is a series of irregular yellowish-white spots.
Mr. Atkinson informed me that these examples were captured together on a heap of firewood, at one of the Nelson and Foxhill railway stations, in the Waimea District. They had been in his possession for upwards of six weeks, and during that period had neither eaten nor voided anything. On examining them, we both remarked on the length and extreme flexibility of the tail, which was usually coiled up to the root, reminding one of the small fire-works known to school-boys as “Catherine-wheels.” In this respect this species differs conspicuously from Naultinus elegans, which, although possessing a very mobile tail never coils it up in the manner described.