no AMEIVA SEX-LINEATA. 



Description. The head is rather short, compressed at the sides, and rounded 

 at the snout. The vertical plate is large and pentagonal, broad before, narrow 

 and slightly curved behind; there are two large, irregularly rhomboidal, superior 

 orbital plates, which supply the place of bony orbits; in front of these is a smaller 

 plate, reaching to the frontal: on the outer margin of these latter are two series 

 of small scales, beyond which is a row of seven narrow, elongated plates, that 

 form the external margin of the orbit; the frontal plates are regularly pentagonal, 

 broadest externally; the centro-frontal broad transversely, rounded before, and 

 acute-angled behind; the nasal are quadrilateral, rather elongated, meeting in the 

 mesial line above; the opening for the nostril is in its most inferior part, near the 

 rostral plate, which is triangular, with its basis below and apex above and pro- 

 longed. There are five occipital plates, pentagonal, and nearly all of the same 

 size; the two anterior have between them a small triangular plate reaching to the 

 vertical, the three posterior are placed in a transverse row, and are surrounded by 

 small plates, of which there are several series behind. There are three inferior 

 orbital plates, placed nearly in a row — the central is quadrilateral, elongated and 

 narrow: the two others are very small. There is a single loral plate, pentagonal 

 and large, ascending to the plane of the forehead. The upper jaw is covered 

 at its inferior margin with a row of small, square, labial plates; the anterior only 

 is trigonal and smallest. There are two series of plates to the lower jaw, the 

 inferior largest. The eyes are rather small, with a dusky pupil and a golden iris; 

 the inner margins of the eyelids are bordered with a very narrow band of bright 

 yellow; the membrane of the tympanum is apparent, and of a palish white colour; 

 the entrance to it is round, and of large size. 



The body is elongated, and covered on the back and sides with minute scales; 

 the scales of the abdomen are large and arranged in rows, of which those nearest 

 the middle are largest. The tail is very long, perfectly cylindrical, and covered 

 with verticillated scales, carinated above and smooth below. The vent is trans- 

 verse, and has three large scales, placed in a triangle in front, and with smaller 

 scales behind. 



