Lafa^tia. '27 



Scales granular on the nape, larger, oval-liexagoual or rhombic, 

 juxtaposed, and obtusely or more or less strongly keeled* on the fjody, 

 the scales a little larger and smooth towards the belly ; 52 to 80 scales 

 across the middle of the body, usually 55 to 65, 28 to 40 in a transverse 

 series between the hind limbs. Ventral plates overlapping, with the 

 postero-inner angle obliquely truncate, in 6, rarely 8, longitudinal 

 series, the plates sometimes nearly ecjual in the 6 series, sometimes 

 increasing in width from the median to the outer ; if in 8 series, the 

 outer plates small ; 25 to 33 transverse series, usually 26 to 29 in 

 males, 29 to 31 in females ; a group of 5 to 29 small irregular jalates 

 usually present in the middle of the pectoral region. Males usually 

 with an enlarged preanal plate, about twice as broad as long, with 

 numerous small plates in front and on the sides ; females with the 

 preanal region covered with small irregular plates. 



A series of 6 to 9 large transverse plates under the forearm, some- 

 times divided into two series. Scales on upper surface of tibia rhoml)ic, 

 keeled, usually smaller than dorsals. 5 to 16 femoral pores on each 

 side, the reduction in the number taking place from the distal end, the 

 series often restricted to the basal third or half of the thigh.f Sub- 

 digital lamellse bicarinate, 22 to 28 under the fourth toe, usually 

 23 to 27.t 



Caudal scales in subequal or alternately somewhat longer and 

 shorter whorls, uj^j^er rather oblique and diagonally and strongly 

 keeled, truncate behind, lower smooth on the basal part of the tail ; 

 30 to 38 scales in the fourth or fifth whorls behind the small postanal 

 scales. 



The coloration varies enormously. The ground colour varies from 

 pale grey to brown, reddish-ltrown or brick-red. Some specimens are 

 handsomely marked with dark and light shades and spots or bars, 

 others are of a pale greyish sand-colour, with all the markings much 

 effaced. There may be four narrow light streaks on the upper 

 surface of the neck and body, the outer proceeding from the super- 

 ciliary edge, and two broader light streaks on each side, the upper 

 originating behind the eye, jiassing above the tympanum, and extending 

 to the base of the tail, the lower from the upper lip, passing through . 



* The degree of carinatioii varies considei-ably, irrespective of other charac- 

 ters, the keels being- often more feeble in females than in males ; the most 

 obtnse keels are fovmd in a female from Joba, Abyssinia, which, in this respect, 

 hardly differs from L. hoscse. 



t This striking range of variation is nearly paralleled in Eremia lineo-ocellata. 



X A specimen from Sheik Othman, near Aden, with 32, stands perfectly- 

 isolated ; bnt no other specimens are known from that locality to connect -with 

 the lower numbers, 25 to 28, recorded from El Kubar, also in S.W. Arabia. 



