26 TROPIDONOTUS FASCIATUS. 



Description. The head is flattened and much elongated, broader behmd, and 

 rounded at the snout; its superior surface is covered with plates. Of these, the 

 vertical is pentagonal, largest in front, and pointed posteriorly; the superior 

 orbital are elongated and quadrilateral, with their outer margins prominent; the 

 occipital are very large, irregularly oblong, broadest internally. The frontal plates 

 are pentagonal, smallest without, where they join a single quadrilateral loral plate; 

 the anterior frontal are smaller, trigonal, with their apices directed forwards, and 

 truncate. The rostral is semicircular, concave below, convex above. The two 

 nasal plates are quadrilateral; the anterior concave behind, and the posterior 

 concave in front. There is but one anterior orbital plate, which is very large, 

 quadrilateral, and reaches from the frontal to the labial line. There are two 

 posterior orbital plates; the superior is the largest. There are eight labial plates, 

 increasing in size to the sixth, and then diminishing. 



The nostrils are lateral, large, and near the snout. The eyes are large and 

 bright, the pupil black, the iris grey, with a tinge of red. The neck is smaller 

 than the head, and covered with carinated scales. The body is long, but thick, 

 and covered with very strongly carinated scales above, which give it an 

 exceedingly rough appearance; all the scales are notched at their posterior 

 extremity. The tail is moderate and thick, and rather triangular. 



Colour. The head is dark brown, with the superior labial plates dirty reddish- 

 white, marked with darker lines that distinguish the junction of the plates. The 

 body above is very dark brown, with irregular oblong or triangular purplish-red 

 spots on the flanks, which are insensibly lost about midway between the abdomen 

 and vertebral line. These, however, are more extensive in the young than in the 

 adult, as well as much brighter. In old animals they become nearly obsolete, so 

 that the whole superior and lateral surface becomes of a brownish colour; it 

 then requires washing to bring out the red spots; and even this may not succeed, 

 unless the animal has recently shed its skin. 



Ddiensions. Length of head, 1 inch 6 lines; greatest breadth of head, 11 lines; 



