324 VARANIDJE. 



e. Hgr. Prince-of-Wales' Island, Dr. Coppinger [C]. 



Torres Straits. (H.M.S. 'Alert.') 



f. Yg. Cape York. Hr. Darnel [C.]. 



g. Ad. Port Essington. Earl of Derby [P.]. 



h,. Yg. Port Darwin. R. G. S. Buckland, Esq. 



[C.]. 



». Ad. ? Earl of Derby [P.]. 



26. Varanus acanthurus. 



Odatria ocellata, Gray, Cat. p. 8. 

 Odatria ocellata, Gray, Zool. Erebus Sf Terr<yr, pi. ii. 

 Monitor ocellatus, Peters Sf Dorin, Ann. Mus. Genov. xiii. 1878, 

 p. 338. 



Teeth acute, compressed. Snout depressed at the end, mea&tiring 

 less than the distance from the anterior border of the orbit to the 

 ear ; canthus rostralis well marked. Nostril round, slightly nearer 

 the end of the snout than the orbit. Digits moderate. Tail round, 

 depressed at the base, not keeled. Head-scales very small, equal ; 

 supraocular scales smaller still, granular. Scales of upper surfaces 

 small, elongate, tectiform. Abdominal scales smooth, in sixty-five 

 to seventy-five transverse series. Caudal scales strongly keeled, 

 the keels on the sides and upper surface forming large spines. 

 Blackish, with large yellow rings ; limbs and tail yellow-spotted ; a 

 black and yellow temporal streak ; neck sometimes with black and 

 yellow longitudinal streaks; lower surfaces yellowish, the throat 

 dotted with blackish. 



Snout very short, depressed at the end, measuring much less than 

 the distance froni the anterior border of the orbit to the ear ; canthus 

 rostralis not very distinct. Nostril round, equally distant from the 

 end of the snout and the orbit. Digits moderate. Tail round, de- 

 pressed at the base, not keeled, not much longer than head and body. 

 Head-scales, including supraoculars, small, subequal. Scales of 

 upper surfaces small, perfectly round, simply convex. Abdominal 

 scales smooth, in seventy transverse rows. Upper and lateral caudal 

 scales strongly keeled, forming small spines, Yellowish-gre}* above, 



