SPECIFIC CHARACTERS OF BRITISH LIZARDS 89 



including the crocodiles, which are characterised by 

 the plate armour with which their bodies are protected. 

 The only other scales claiming attention on the side 

 of the head are those in the position of the lower lip 

 of other animals, namely, the inferior labials, or lower 

 lip scales (l'.) ; and immediately below these the chin 

 shields, the tops of which are seen, the rest of these 

 scales belonging to the under surface. Like the upper 

 labials the lower ones vary considerably, and should 

 always be examined. 



3. The Ventral Aspect. 



We now come to the third and last aspect of the 

 head, that which is out of sight until the specimen is 

 held up or turned on its back. The scaling here is 

 very simple. There are first the lower labials, which 

 were seen partly from the side. The only others 

 which need concern us here are the scales of the chin 

 region. The most anterior of these which extends 

 between the two rows of lower labials is termed 

 the mental shield, or chin shield proper. Those just 

 behind the mental are, as we should expect, the post- 

 mental shields, and these merge into the scales of the 

 throat farther back. 



The rest of the scales covering the body present no 

 difficulty. They take their names from their position, 

 dorsal on the back, ventral on the belly, caudal and 

 suh-caudal on or under the tail, aiial or 'pre-anal in 

 front of the anal aperture. 



