58 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol,. VIU, 



Total length . . 



lycngth of head and body . . 



Length of tail 



Length of head 



Length of fore limb 



Length of hind limb 



Locality. — Buxa, Jalpaiguri district, Bengal frontier of Bhutan. 



Type.—^o. 12564, Ind. Mus. ( 5 ). 



It is probable that this species inhabits the foot-hills of 

 Bhutan, perhaps replacing /. variegata east of the R. Tista and 

 being replaced by /. andersoniana at some unknown point situated 

 still further east. 



/. bengalensis is one of the largest species in the genus and 

 easily surpasses either the Sikhim, the Dafla or the Khasi form in 

 this respect. It is distinguished from the first (/. variegata) not 

 onl}" by its larger size but also by the nature of its crest, its coloura- 

 tion and scale-characters. From /. planidorsata the shape of its 

 body will readily distinguish it, while its hind limbs are much 

 shorter than in /. andersoniana. 



Tropidophorus assamensis, sp. nov. 



This species is closely related to Tropidophorus cochinensis, 

 D. & B., from which it differs in its more slender form, shorter 

 limbs, keeled ventrals, etc. 



Habit slender; cylindrical. 



Head. — Snout sharply pointed, narrow, no longer than orbit. 

 Dorsal scales strongly ridged ; a single fronto- nasal, which is al- 

 most as broad posteriorly as it is long ; praefrontals short, form- 

 ing a median suture ; frontal shorter than fronto-parietals and 

 interparietal together; 4 supraoculars, the ist and 4th longest; 

 5 supraciliaries, ist longest; fronto-parietals longer than inter- 

 parietal, forming a suture behind it; 5 upper labials, 4th longest; 

 3rd, 4th and 5th beneath eye; an azygous mental; tympanum 

 smaller than eye-opening. 



Scales, 30 round body, all strongly keeled and spinousl}^ pro- 

 duced; ventrals largest; throat scales not strongly keeled but 

 ending in a sharp point posteriorly ; a pair of large praeanals ; 

 dorsal and lateral tail-scales keeled ; ventral tail-scales smooth. 



Limbs short but well-formed. Hind limb reaches wrist. Infra- 

 digital lamellae smooth. 



Tail cylindrical, tapering, longer than head and body. 



Colouration. — Dorsal surface dark brown obscurely marbled 

 with yellow, three cross-bars of latter colour; one across hips, a 

 second across shoulders and a third (less distinct than others) across 

 back of neck; tail rather darker, obscurely banded; head brown ; 

 sides and lips black with small white spots ; ventral surface yel- 

 lowish ; small black spots on chin, throat and chest ; ventral surface 

 of tail dark with an interrupted mid- ventral pale stripe, which 

 becomes obscure distally, and numerous small yellowish spots. 



