SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 157 



separated by aljout five rows of rugose or tricarinate scales; head-scales gener- 

 ally keeled or rugose; about seven scales in a row between the nostrils; supra- 

 ocular semicircles separated by two or three rows of rugose or keeled scales; 

 occipital oval, about one half the size of ear opening; separated from the semi- 

 circles by about four rows of scales; supraocular discs large, not very sharply 

 defined, composed of a large number of not very greatly enlarged, keeled scales; 

 canthus rostralis prominent, composed of about seven keeled scales, extending 

 almost to nostril, extending backward it fonns a distinct superciliary ridge 

 which extends posteriorly to the centre of the eye; loreal rows, seven; subocular 

 semicircles composed of large keeled scales, broadly in contact with supralabials ; 

 eight smooth supralabials, the suture between the sixth and seventh bemg 

 about under the centre of the eye ; temporals granular, the central scales of the 

 temporal area smallest, a faintly indicated supratemporal hne; scales of back 

 and sides small and granular, no enlarged middorsals; ventrals large, cycloid, 

 imbricating, smooth; scales of anterior aspect of both fore and hind limbs 

 enlarged, imbricating and strongly keeled ; body short and strongly compressed ; 

 a well-defined nuchal and dorsal fold; the adpressed hind Umb reaches almost 

 to the nostril; about seventeen lamellae under phalanges II and III of the 

 fourth toe; digital dilations well developed; tail veiy strongly compressed, 

 with a high "fin" ; each section of the fin composed of about nine rows of scales 

 which are rather uniform in size (not increasing in size in a dorsal direction as 

 in homolechis) ; the scales of the Umiting rows are not very greatly enlarged upon 

 either tail or "fin"; postanal scales not conspicuously enlarged. 



Colour (freshly killed specimen) : — Grayish brown, darker vertical bands 

 upon body and tail; throat in both males and females streaked longitudinally; 

 scattered light dots upon hps and sides ; dewlap very large, of a rather brilliant 

 hght brick-red, edged with hght yellow, almost white upon the thickened mar- 

 gin and crossed by three deep carmine oblique bands upon the hght brick-red 

 ground. 



Dimensions: — Total length (tail sUghtly mutilated) 130 mm. 



Vent to tip of tail 55 mm. 

 Width of head 7.5+ mm. 



Fore leg 25 mm. 



Hind leg 48 mm. 



We Uttle expected so remarkable a novelty as the one here described, 

 when in the spring of 1916 Senor Rodriguez started on a collecting trip to the 

 northern coastal region of eastern Oriente. The greatly developed fin with its 



