248 Lacerfichv. 



Head and body strontily depressed. Head li to Ij? times as lon^? 

 as broad, its length oj to 4i times in lengtli to vent, its deptli equal to 

 the distance between the anterior corner of the eye and the tympanum ; 

 snout pointed, a little longer than the postocular part of the head, 

 nasals not or but feebly swollen ; eanthus sharp, loreal region feebly 

 concave ; a well-marked concavity on the upper surface of the snout, 

 extending all along the frontal shield. Pileus 2 to 2J times as long 

 as bioad. Neck as bri)ad as the head or a little constricted. Hind 

 limb reaching the eye or between the ear and the eye in males, the ear 

 in females ; foot 1^ times as long as the head ; toes slender, strongly 

 compressed. Tail 2} to 2f times as long as head and bo<ly. 



Upper head-shields flat, rugose, sculptured and pitted but not 

 striated. Nasals in contact behind the rostral, the suture between 

 them J to ^ the length of the frontonasal, which is broader than long ; 

 prefrontals a little longer than broad, forming a suture in the middle ; 

 frontal as long as or a little shorter than its distance from the end of 

 the snout, Ij to 2 times as long as broad, narrow behind, separated 

 from the supraoculars by a series of small scales, rarely with a second 

 incomplete series ; parietals broader than long, not longer than the 

 frontoparietals ; interparietal very small ; occipital very small, usually 

 separated from the interparietal by one or two small shields, rarely 

 absent. Three supraoculars, in contact with each other, first as long 

 as or a little shorter than second ; 5 to 7 sviperciliaries, first longest, 

 separated from the second and third supi'aoculars by a series of small 

 scales. Four nasals, two upper and two lower; anterior loreal as 

 long as deep or a little longer than deej), much shorter than the second; 

 5 to 7 upper labials anterior to the centre of the eye, the two first in 

 contact with the lower nasals ; subocular keeled below the eye, not 

 reaching the mouth, resting on the fifth and sixth, sixth and seventh, 

 or seventh and eighth upper labials. A long and narrow upper 

 temporal, followed by 1 to 3 small shields ; temporal scales gi'anular, 

 smooth; a narrow tymjjanic shield; no auricular denticulation. 

 Lower eyelid opaque, covered with small scales. 



4 pairs of chin-shields, the 2 or 3 anterior in contact in the middle ; 



25 to 37 gular scales in a straight line between the symphysis of the 

 chin-shields and the median collar-plate ; no gular fold. Collar 

 curved, free, composed of 7 to 11 plates. 



Scales granular, juxtaposed, smooth, (J8 to 82 across the middle of 

 the body. Ventral plates in 8, rarely 10, straight longitudinal and 



26 to 30 transverse series, all except the outer broader than long. 

 Preanal region with small shields or with an enlarged median shield, as 

 long as broad or broader than long, entirely surrounded by small shields. 



