Acant/iodactylus. 43 



as long as its distance from the end of the snout, 2 to 2.\ times as long 

 as broad, rounded or truncate in front, narrow liehind ; parietals as 

 long as broad or broader than long, outer border straight or concave. 

 Two large supraoculars (the second and third of typical Lacertids) 

 jireceded and followed by small shields and granules (the first supra- 

 ocular often represented by 2 or 3 naiTOw shields), and l)ordered on 

 the outer side by a single series of granules, rarely by tw^o incomplete 

 series; the anterior supraocular as long as or a little longer than -its 

 distance from the second loreal ; 6 or 7, rarely 8, superciliaries, first 

 longest.* Anterior loreal as long as or shorter than the second ; 

 4 upper labials, rarely 5 to 7,t anterior to the centre of the eye ; sub- 

 ocular sharply keeled lielow the eye, narrowly liordering the mouth or 

 wedged in between the fourth and fifth, or rarely fifth and sixth upper 

 labials, + One or two large upper temporals§ ; temporal scales granular, 

 convex or very obtusely keeled, upper minute, lower much larger ; a 

 very small tympanic shield sometimes present ; auricular denticulation 

 absent or very slightly indicated. 



Usually 5 pairs of chin-shields,|| the three first in contact in the 

 middle, 25 to 33 gular scales in a straight line between the symphysis 

 of the chin-shields and the median collar-plate, juxtaposed in front, 

 gradually enlarged and imbricate towards the collar ; gular fold absent 

 or merely indicated. Collar free, curved or angular, composed of 9 to 

 12 plates. 



Scales granular and smooth on the nape, roundish-su))rhomboidal and 

 smooth or feelily keeled on the back, a little smaller on the upper part 

 of the sides, largest towards the ventrals, often subimbricate and 

 distinctly or even strongly keeled towards the tail ; 58 to (58 scales 

 across the middle of the body. Ventral plates in regular longitudinal 

 and transverse series, all except the outermost much broader than long, 

 the largest fully twice as broad as long, in 10, rarely 8, longitudinal 

 and 28 to 33 transverse series. 2 to 5 enlarged preanal plates in a 

 median series, the last always much broader than long. 21 to 28 

 femoral pores on each side, the two series meeting in the middle. 



* In contact with tlie prefrontal in a male from Ciudad Eeal. 



t 7 in the specimen from Abrantes. — The French specimen figured hy Milne- 

 Edwards is represented as having 5. 



X It is usually stated that the suboeular borders the mouth in this species, 

 and this is true as concerns the type specimens, but it is so in only 20 out of the 

 44 cases examined by me. 



§ Separated from the parietals by grannies in a male from Valencia. 



II 6 on one side in a male from Valencia, and in two young from Tabernas 

 de Valldigna ; 7 pairs, the 4 anterior in contact in the middle, in the specimen 

 from Abrantes. 



