CHALCIDES. 223 



ventral edge, with two pairs of .short limbs, the anterior tetradael ylc, 

 the posterior tridactyle ; the hind limb proportioually more developed 

 than the anterior, a little longer than the distance between the tore 

 limb and the anterior corner of the eye, and contained 3| times 

 in the distance from the fore limb. 20 scales round the body, 

 subequal. Two enlarged pra;anals. Tail a little shorter than 

 head and body, ending in a point. Cream-coloured, each dorsnl 

 scale with a central brown dot ; the dots form two lines oi^ the middle 

 of the back and a dark band on each side, beginning from the nostril 

 and passing through the eye ; the two vertebral lines unite iuto a 

 streak on the middle of the head. 



From snout to vent 3 inches ; tail 2-8. 



Hah. [Southern coast of Persia or Baluchistan ? The exact locality 

 uncertain. 



Genus CHALCIDES, 

 Laurenti, Syn. Rept. p. 64, 1768. 



Palatine bones not meeting on the median line of the jialate, 

 which is toothless. Teeth conical or wilh obtuse crowns. Lower 

 eyelid with an undi\ided transparent disk. Ear more or less dis- 

 tinct. Nostril pierced between the rostral and a very small nasal 



Fig. (iO. Uppc'i- mid side views of head uf Chalcidcs ocellatus. 



in an emarginatiou of the former shield ; suprauasals present ; prae- 

 frontals and frontoparietals absent. Body much elongate ; limbs 

 short or rudimentary. 



Distrihutloa. South Europe ; Africa north of the equator ; JSouth- 

 western Asia, from Syria and Arabia to Sind. 11 species are 

 known. 



Synopsis of Indiun Species. 



Ear-opening pre-^ent, limbs moderate C. ucellntus, p. 2'2A. 



No car-opeuiiig, limbs very small C pentadadylus, p. 224. 



