192 • SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



THECONYX HALIANUS (Nevill). 



As the description of this species drawn up by Haly and 

 published by Nevill, who gave it its name (Eiqyrejjes halianus), 

 is not very clear, I have based the following diagnosis on three 

 specimens in the Colombo Museum. 



Habit lacertif orm, rather stout ; limbs approaching one another 

 or slightly overlapping when adpressed ; tail cylindrical, of the 

 same length as the head and body. Tympanum as small as 

 nostril, deeply sunk. No postnasal ; a narrow supranasal which 

 does not meet its fellow ; rostral much broader than deep ; 

 frontal three times as long as broad, much longer than inter- 

 parietal, from which it is completely separated : four large 

 supraoculars, seven or eight superciliaries ; no distinct nuchals. 

 Lower eyelid scaly ; body scules large, imbricate ; dorsals with 

 three or five indistinct keels ; laterals smooth ; twenty -four scale 

 round the body ; anals slightly enlarged. 



Fig. 2. — Left hand from below. Fig. 3. — Left foot from below. 



X about 4. X about 4. 



Fig. 4. — Claw. X 12. 



Coloration. — Dorsal surface olive (yellow in young) with six or 

 seven dark transverse bars on the body which are narrower than 

 the interspaces, and eight or nine on the tail. These are much 

 more conspicuous in the young than in the adult and equal to 

 the interspaces. Head variously marked with olive and dark 

 brown. Ventral surface dirty yellow. Length of head and 

 body 1| inch : length of tail 1| inch. 



Localities. — In addition to Nevill's types (an adult from the 

 Western Province and a young specimen from Anuradhapura) 

 the Colombo Museum possesses a third example (half-^rown) 

 from Horana, collected and presented by G. H. Swayne, Esq., 8th 

 November, 1901. It is this specimen I have measured, as the 

 tail is injured in the adult, which is at least twice as large. 



