236 Lacerfuhr. 



contact behiud the rostral, tlie suture between tlieui 1- to h the length 

 of the frontonasal, which is broader than long* ; prefrontals as long as 

 broad or a little longer, usually forming a median suture,t rarely 

 separated by the frontonasal and extending to the frontal + ; frontal 

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

 snout, 1^ to 2 times as long as broad, separated from the supraoculars 

 by a series of small scales ; parietals as long as broad or broader, not 

 longer than the frontoparietals, often meeting behind the intrapai'ietai, 

 which is much smaller than the frontoparietals ; occipital very small, 

 minute, or absent. First supraocular sometimes entire, usually 

 replaced by one or two series of small scales, the second as long as its 

 distauce from the second loreal ; fourth supraocular replaced by small 

 scales ; 4 or 5, rarely 6, superciliaries, first longest ; a series of small 

 scales between the supraoculars and the superciliaries, or one series in 

 front and two or three behind. Three nasals, posterior smallest, 

 lower in contact with the rostral and the first upper labial § ; anterior 

 loreal as long as deep or deeper, usually shorter than the second ; 4 to 

 5, rarely 7, upper labials to below the centre of the eye ; subocular 

 much narrowed inferiorly and bordering the mouth, or resting on 3 or 

 4 upper labials, one of which sometimes represents clearly the 

 detached lower part of the subocular. An elongate, keeled upper 

 temporal, often followed by a smaller shield, sometimes separated 

 from the parietal by 2 to 4 small scales ; temporal scales hexagonal, 

 small and strongly keeled above, larger and smooth or obtusely 

 keeled beneath ; a narrow tympanic shield ; uo auricular denticulation, 

 or only 2 or 3 projecting granules ; lower eyelid opaque or semi- 

 transpai'ent in the middle, with 6 or 7 vertically enlarged scales. 



5 pairs of chin-shields, the 3 anterior in contact in the middle ; 

 17 to 27 gular scales in a straight line between the symphysis of the 

 chin-shields and the median collar-plate ; uo gular fold. Collar curved, 

 free, composed of 7 to 10 (rarely 11) plates. 



Scales rhombic, sti'ongly and diagonally keeled on the back, larger 

 and smooth or obtusely keeled towards the ventrals ; 60 to 77 scales 

 across the middle of the body,|| usually 63 to 71. Ventral plates in 

 6 straight longitudinal and 23 to 30 transverse series, broader than 



* Longitudinally divided into two in a specimen from Mombasa, according 

 to Nieden. 



t An azygos shield seiiaratos the frontoparietals in a male from Berbera ; the 

 same specimen has the frontonasal longitudinally divided. 



X In 3 specimens from Morogoro. 



§ I cannot account for Tornier's statement that in the typical K. speHi tlie 

 lower nasal rests on the first and second labials. 



II Up to 80 according to Sternfeld. 



