226 OPHIDIA. 



top ; there is one very large pre-ocular plate, two post- 

 ocular, no subocular, eight labial plates on the upper lip, 

 ten on the lower ; temples covered with scales ; the dorsal 

 scales are smooth, hollowed in the middle, lanceolate, 

 those on the flanks much larger, sub triangular, forming in 

 all nineteen longitudinal rows ; ventral plates, 168 to 182 ; 

 subcaudal, seventy-five to ninety pairs ; the head and upper 

 parts of the body are olive, with a red-brown tinge ; each 

 plate of the head is edged by a narrow dusky brown line, 

 over each eye is a small round spot of the same colour ; 

 down the back are numerous oblong irregular black spots ; 

 along the side run two parallel black streaks, the lower of 

 which appears as if interrupted, from the circumstance of 

 the scales on which it runs being of a lighter hue at 

 their centres than at their extremities ; the upper lateral 

 streak is wider, and is really interrupted, passing over, as 

 it were, two or three scales in succession ; it occupies the 

 fourth row, counting from the margin of the ventral 

 plates ; many of the dorsal scales have very narrow brown 

 edges and black tips; the belly is dull yellow, along it 

 run six or eight dark parallel streaks, not well-defined, 

 but sufficiently so to give the surface a ruled appearance ; 

 the under part of the tail is ashy, marbled with hghter 

 tints, and sprinkled with dusky specks ; the coloui\s of the 

 species are very bright for a short time subsequent to the 

 change of skin, the back being a fine green colour, with 

 jet-black spots ; the sides azure ; the belly clear yellow, 

 with black or bright blue marks. 



The variety described by Buonaparte as C. Neumayeri, 

 is uniform dusky olive on the upper parts of the head and 

 body ; the stripes along the sides of the back are wanting, 

 but the scales on those parts have a streaked appearance, 

 resulting from their margms being of a much lighter tint 

 than the centres ; the scales in general are each dusky at 



