Acantliodaclyhis. 43 



as long as its distance from the oiid of the snout, 2 to 2 J, times as long 

 as liroad, rounded or truncate in front, narrow behind ; parietals as 

 long as broad or broader than long, outer ])order straight or concave. 

 Two large supraoculars (the second and third of typical Lac<'rtids) 

 preceded and followed liy small shields and granides (the first supra- 

 oculiir often represented by 2 or 3 narrow shields), and liordered on 

 the outer side by a single series of granules, rarely by two incomplete 

 series ; the anterior supraocular as long as ov a little longer than its 

 distance from the second loreal ; t! or 7, rarely 8, superciliaries, first 

 longest.* Anterior loreal as long as or shorter than the second ; 

 4 upper labials, rarely 5 to 7,t anterior to the centre of the eye ; su)> 

 ocular sharply keeled l>elow the eye, narrowly bordering the mouth or 

 w^edged in between the fourth and fifth, or rarely fifth and sixth up^ier 

 labials, ;!: One or two large upper temporals§ ; temporal scales granular, 

 convex or very obtusely keeled, upper minute, lower much larger; a 

 very small tympanic shield sometimes present ; auricular denticulation 

 absent or very slightly indicated. 



Usually 5 pairs of chin-shields, j] the three first in contact in the 

 middle, 25 to 33 gular scales in a straight line between the symphysis 

 of the chin-shields and the median collar-plate, juxtaposed in front, 

 gradually enlarged and imbricate towards the collar ; gular fold absent 

 or merely indicated. Collar free, curved or angular, composed of 9 to 

 12 plates. 



Scales granular and smooth on the nape, roundish-subrhomboidal and 

 smooth or feebly keeled on the back, a little smaller on the upper part 

 of the sides, largest towards the ventrals, often subimbrieate and 

 distinctly or even strongly keeled towards the tail ; 58 to (JS scales 

 across the middle of the body. Ventral plates in regular longitudinal 

 and transverse series, all except the outermost much broader than long, 

 the largest fully twice as broad as long, in 10, rarely 8, longitudinal 

 and 28 to 33 transverse series. 2 to 5 enlarged preanal plates in a 

 median series, the last always much broader than long. 21 to 28 

 femoral pores on each side, the two series meeting in the middle. 



* 111 contact with the prefrontal in a male from Ciuclad Real. 



t 7 in the specimen from Abrantes. — The French specimen figured by Milne- 

 Edwards is represented as having 5. 



X It is usually stated that the subociilar borders the nioxxtli in this sjjecies, 

 and this is true as concerns the type specimens, but it is so in only 20 out of the 

 44 cases examined by me. 



§ Separated from the jjarietals by granules in a male from Valencia. 



jl 6 on one side in a male from Valencia, and in two young from Tabernas 

 de Valldigna ; 7 pairs, the 4 anterior in contact in the middle, in the specimen 

 from Abi'antes. 



