Eremias. 277 



Head and Ijody rather strouglv depressetl. Head 1|- to If times as 

 long as hroad, its length 3| to 4} times iu length to veut in males, 



4 to 5 times in females, its depth equal to the distance between the 

 centre of the eye and the tympanum ; snout pointed, with the nasal 

 shields strongly swollen, as long as the postocular part of the head ; 

 canthus rostralis sharp, loreal region feebly concave ; a more or less 

 distinct concavity iu the middle of the upper surface of the snout, 

 extending to the middle of the froutal shield. Pileus Is to If times 

 as long as broad. Neck as broad as the head. Hind limb reaching 

 the collar or between the collar and the ear, rarely the ear, in males, 

 the elbow, the axil, the collar, or a Little beyond, in females ; foot 

 IJ to 1:^ times the length of the head; toes moderately slender, not 

 compressed. Tail 1 1 to li times the length of head and body. 



Upj;er head-shields smooth, convex, sometimes slightly rugose in 

 old specimens. Rostral usually* in contact with the frontonasal, 

 which is as long as broad or a little broader ; prefrontals as long as 

 broad, or usually a little lougei-, forming a suture in the middle, 

 rarely with a small azygos shield between themf ; frontal as long as 

 ur a little shorter than its distance from the end of the snout, 1| to 2 

 times as long as broad, usually much broader in front than behind ; 

 parietals as long as broad or a little longer; interparietal as large as 

 or smaller than the frontoparietals, rarely larger, in contact with an 

 occipital;]: which is much shorter l)ut sometimes quite as broad. First 

 and fourth supraoculars small or broken up into granules ; 6 to 8, 

 rarely 5, superciliaries, first longest, separated from the two large 

 supraoculars by one or two series of granules iu front, 2 to 5 behind, 

 rarely one throughout. Three nasals, lower in contact with the rostral 

 and the first upper labial, posterior small and very rarely excluded 

 from the nostril ; anterior loreal 2 to 3 times as deep as long, excep- 

 tionally divided into two, as long as or a little shorter than the second ; 

 usually 4, sometimes 5, upper laliials anterior to the subocular, which 

 is keeled beli;)w the eye, and largely bordei's the mouth, its lower 

 border much shorter than the upper ; temporal scales small, granular, 

 lower larger ; a small tympanic shield often present ; no auricular 

 denticulation. Lower eyelid with a semitranspareut disc formed of 



5 to 8 scales, 2 or 3 of which are sometimes large. 



* 8 exceptions (single specimens from Khargeh, Heluan, Foiji)a''et es Zona, 

 2 from Wed Saret-El Golea, 3 from El Golea-Fort Miribel) out of 47 specimens. 



t Single specimen from Khargeh and Natron Valley, 2 specimens from Giza. 



t Except in the type of S. lichtensteinii, in which a small shield separates 

 them, and in a specimen from Wed SaietEl Golea, in which the parietals meet 

 on the median line. 



