Ophio2>s. 201 



leschenanltii are cliaracters of greater specializatiou than are shown 

 hv the Indian Ophioiis with which we are at present acquainted. As 

 to the tvpical. Western species of the genus, 0. elegaus aud 0. occiden- 

 falis, the smooth upper head-shields also preclude their derivation 

 from the existing species of Cahrita, whilst the agreement in many 

 points with Psammodronms may be a ease of convergence from a 

 common stock sharing characters with Nwcras aud Lacerta. 



Syno2}$is of the Species. 



I. Snout feebly or moderately depi'essed, as long as postoculai- part of head ; 

 less than 50 scales and plates round middle of body, the lateral scales 

 passing gradually into the ventral plates ; toes feebly compressed. 



A. Upper head-shields strongly rugose, keeled, or striated ; 26 to 33 



scales and plates round middle of body ; 16 to 20 lamellte under 

 the fourth toe. 

 A single frontonasal, very rarely longitudinally bisected ; prin- 

 cipal supraoculars much Iiroader than posterior part of 



frontal 0../crtZoni;, Blyth, p. 201. 



Two or three frontonasals ; principal supraoculars not or but 



slightly broader than posterior part of frontal . 0. heddomii, Jerd., p. 205. 



B. Upper head-shields smooth or slightly rugose; 20 to 26 lamellae 



under the fourth toe. 

 24 to 30 scales and plates round middle of body ; superciliaries 

 in contact with supraoculars, granules between them absent 

 or reduced to a few ..... 0. occidentalis, Blgr., p. 207. 

 28 to id scales and plates round middle of body ; a series of 



granules between supraoculars and superciliaries . 0. elegans. Men., p. 211. 

 II. Snout much depressed, longer than postocular part of head ; 

 upper labials projecting, angular ; 56 to 64 scales and plates 

 round middle of body ; lateral scales abruptly differentiated 

 from the ventral plates ; toes strongly compressed, with 21 

 to 24 lamelUe under the foiu'th ... 0. viicroJcpis, Blanf., p. 222. 



1. OPHIOPS JEKDONII. 



Ophiops jerdoni, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xxii, 1853, p. 653; 

 Stoliczka, op. cit. xli, 1872, p. 89, and Proc. As. Soc. Beng. 1872, p. 

 74; Bouleng. Cat. Liz. iii, p. 73 (1887), and Faun. Ind., Kept. p. 174 

 (1890). 



Tropidosaura jerdoni, Theobald, Cat. Kept. As. Soc. Mus. p. 22 

 (1868). 



Pseudopliiops jerdoni, Jerdou, Proc. As. Soc. Beng. 1870, p. 71. 



Pseudophiops theobcddi, Jerdon, I.e. 



Cahrita leschenauJtii (nou M.-Edw.), Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 317 

 (1884). 



