CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 695 



rlioaiboidal su[)eri()r orbital plates, wliicli supply the place of bony- 

 orbits, in front of which is Ji smaller plate, reaching to the fronto-nasal, 

 and II still smaller plate behind them. On the outer margin of these 

 are two series of small scales, beyond which is a row of seven narrow, 

 elongated plates that form the superior margin of the orbit; the fronto- 

 nasal plates are regularly jjeutagonal, broadest externally; the inter- 

 frontonasal broad transversely, rounded before and acute.-augled be- 

 hind; the nasals are quadrilateral, rather elongated, meeting in the 

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

 part, near the postnasal plate, which is triangular, with its basis below 

 and apex above and prolonged. The frontoparietal, interparietal, and 

 parietal plates are nearly all of the same size; the two fronto parietals 

 are truncate in front. The interparietal is longer than wide and par- 

 allelogramic in form; with the jiarietals, it is bounded posteriorly by 

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

 inferior orbital plates, placed nearly in a row; the central is quadrilat- 

 eral, elongated, and narrow; the two others are very small. There is 

 a single loreal plate, pentagonal and large, ascending to the plane of the 

 forehead. The upper jaw is covered at its inferior margin with a row 

 of five small, square, labial plates; the anterior only is trigonal and 

 smallest. There are two series of plates to the lower jaw, the inferior 

 largest, and consisting of five jDlates, of which those of the anterior pair 

 are in contact with each other. The eyes are rather small, with a 

 dusky pupil and a golden iris; the inner margins of the eyelids are bor- 

 dered with a very narrow band of bright yellow; the membrane of the 

 tympanum is apparent and of a i)alish white color; the entrance to it 

 is round and of large size. The body is elongated and covered on the 

 back and sides with minute scales, which measure .33 mm. in diameter 

 in the adult. The scales of the abdomen are large and arranged in 

 eight 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 transverse and has in 

 front three large scales, placed in a triangle, two posterior to the other 

 and witli smaller scales behind. 



The anterior extremities are well developed, rounded, covered above 

 at the shoulder with five to six rows of large scales, and with two rows 

 still larger and a smaHer row on the front of the forearm ; their inferior 

 surface is granulated. The fingers are scaled to the root of the nails, 

 which are short, small, delicate, and (uirved. The posterior extremities 

 are twice the size of the anterior; the thigh above is covered with 

 granulations, and below with six or seven rows of large scales ; the leg is 

 covered like the thigh, but there are three rows of still larger scales 

 below; the tarsus is granulated on its inferior, and has two rows of scales 

 on its superior surface. The fourth toe is very long, and the first and fifth 

 are subequal; all are armed with short, small, curved claws. There is 

 a range of from 15 to 17 femoral pores under the thigh. 



