20. HOPLTJRTTS. 129 



20. HOPLURUS*. 



Oplurus, Cxv. R. A. 2nd ed. ii. p. 47; Dum. Sf Bibr. iv. p. 359; 



Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 221. 

 Tropidurus, part., Wafjler, Syst. Amph. p. 146 ; Wieym. Ilerp. 3Iex. 



p. 18. 

 floplurus, Fitziny. Syst. Rcpt. p. 70. 

 Dorvphorus (non Cue), Fitziuy. I. c. p. 77. 

 Tropidui-iis {non Wied), Gray, I. c. p. 225. 

 Centrura, part., A. Dum. Arch. Mm. viii. p. 556. 



Tympanum distinct. Body depressed ; no dorsal crest. Dorsal 

 scales uuit'orm, imbricate or juxtaposed. Upper head-scales slightly 

 enlarged ; occipital more or less enlarged. A strong transverse 

 gular fold ; no gular sac. Digits compressed, with keeled lamellae 

 interiorly. jS^o femoral or prieanal pores. Tail moderately long, 

 subcylindrical, with whorls of sjiinose scales. Lateral teeth tri- 

 cuspid ; pterygoid teeth. No sternal fontanelle. Abdominal ribs. 



Madagascar. 



-'O'- 



Synopsis of the Species. 



Dorsal scales larger than ventrals, im- 

 bricate, strongly keeled ; the whorls 

 of large spinose caudal scales separated 

 from each other hj a whorl of smaller 

 scales 1. sebit;, p. 129. 



Dorsal scales scarcely larger than ven- 

 trals, sliglitly imbricate, smooth or 

 indistinctly keeled ; caudal scales equal 2. eydurus, p. 130. 



Dorsal scales granular, smaller than ven- [p. 131. 



trals ; caudal scales equal 3. quadrimaculatus, 



' 1. Hoplurus sehae. 



Opiums brazilit'usis. Gray, Cat. p. 222. 

 Oplurus torquatus, (non Cuv.) Guerin, Icon. Ii. A., Rcpt. pi. xii. fig. 3. 



sebse, Duin. S)- Bibr. p. 361. 



Hoplurus seba?, Fitziny. Syst. Rept. p. 76 ; Peters, Reise n. Mossamb. 



iii. p. 31, pi. vi. tig. 1. 



baniardi, part., Peters, 3Ion. Berl. Ac. 1854, p. 616. 



torquatus, Peters, in Decken's Reisen O. Afr. iii. i. p. 14 ; 



Boettyer, Abh. Senck. Ges. xii. 1881, p. 476. 



Upper head-scales keeled ; occipital large ; anterior border of 

 ear strongly denticulated. A small nuchal crest. Dorsal and 

 nuchal scales rhomboidal, imbricate, strongly keeled, larger than 

 laterals and ventrals ; latter as well as gulars feebly keeled. Scales 

 on the limbs strongly keeled, as large as or a little larger than the 

 dorsals. Tail about once and a half as long as liead and body, with 

 whorls of large spinose keeled scales, separated from each other by 



* Oplurus saxicola, Grandid. Rev. et Mag. Zool. (2) xxi. 18G9, p. 340. 

 Oplurus fierinensis, id. ibid. p. 341.--Fierin, Madagascar. 

 VOL. II. K 



