La cert a. 25? 



Eostral shield not touching the nostril, usually forininy a suture with 

 the frontonasal,* which is often as long as broad or even a little 

 longer ; postnasal single ; frontal as long as its distance from the end 

 of the snout, 1 5 to nearly 2 times as long as broad ; a complete series 

 of granules between the supraoculars and the superciliaries, which 

 number 5 or 6, the suture between the first and second vertical or 

 oblique ; parietals I3- (young) to nearly twice as long as broad ; 

 occipital usually shorter than the interparietal, with which it is some- 

 times fused I ; usually 4 upper labials, rarely SJ anterior to the 

 subocular, the lower border of which is not or but little shorter than 

 the upper ; first upper temporal rarely in contact with the fourth 

 supraocular§ ; temporal scales granular, small ; tympanic shield 

 distinct ; masseteric shield very small or absent. 



29 to 38 scales between the symphysis of the chin-shields and the 

 median collar-plate, usually 30 to 35 ; gular fold distinct. Collar 

 with even edge, composed of 11 to 15 small plates, usually 11 to 13. 



Scales very small, granular, flat, smooth, 62 to 76 across the middle 

 of the body, usually 64 to 72 1| ; 32 ( 9 ) to 47 (<^) transverse series 

 in the middle of the back, correspond to the length of the head, 4 or 

 4 and 5 on the sides correspond to a ventral plate. Ventral plates in 

 23 to 26 transverse series (23 to 25 in males, 23 to 26 in females).^ 

 Preanal plate moderately large or rather small, with two semicircles 

 of small plates. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia smooth, smaller than dorsals. 21 

 to 31 femoral pores on each side, usually 21 to 28 ; frequently a second, 

 incomplete series of rudimentary pores. 26 to 31 lamellar scales 

 under the fourth toe. 



Upper caudal scales smooth or feebly keeled, truncate, rather 

 oblique, the whorls very markedly longer and shorter alternatelv ; 26 

 to 34 scales in the fourth whorl. 



The type specimen is black al)ove, with very numerous small round 

 greenish light spots, the head being brown with a black reticulation ; 



* Out of 40 specimens from Mt. Gennergentii only 3 lack the suture, the 

 nasals meeting with their inner angles, aceoi'ding to Peracca ; in 3 specimens 

 from Mt. Limbara, preserved in the Florence JIuseum, the nasals are narrowly 

 in contact with each other behind the rostral. 



t In 11 specimens according to Peracca, in 2 specimens in the British 

 Museum ; separated by an accessory shield in the third specimen in the British. 

 Museum. 



X In 14 cases out of 54 according to Peracca. 



§ 3 exceptions noted by Peracca. 



II 74-82 according to Mehely. 



T 8 longitudinal rows in 2 specimens examined by Peracca, in 3 examined 

 by Mehely. 



