Eremias. 295 



as long as broad*; a small shield is sometimes f present between 

 the interparietal and the occipital. ;J: 57 to 73 scales across the 

 middle of the body ; ventral plates in 12 longitudinal series, rarely 

 10 § or 14, and 81 to 36 transverse series. 31 to 39 gular scales 

 in a straight line; 11 to 16 plates in the collar. 10 to 17 femoral 

 pores on each side|| ; 23 to 30 lamellae imder the fourth toe. 



In the type of E. pulcheUa the upper parts are grey, the liead and 

 body dotted all over with black ; 4 longitudinal series of large white, 

 black-edged ocellar spots on the back ; a rather indistinct light 

 lateral streak, edged with dark grey, from below the eye, through 

 the tympanum, to the base of the hind limb. Lower parts white. 



The types of the three colour-varieties described as species by 

 Smith are now more or less bleached ; I will therefore reproduce, in 

 a somewhat abridged form, the descriptions given by that author. 



E. annulifera. Bluish grey or greenish grey above, the back 

 variegated with four rows of small, somewhat circular, liver-brown 

 spots, some of those of the lowermost row on each side smaller, Avith 

 white centres, and some of those of the upper rows with a clear white 

 spot immediately under their lower edge. Lower parts pale greenish 

 grey. —Interior of S. Africa, towards the ti'opic. 



E. pulcJira. Light broccoli-brown above, variegated with flesh-red, 

 the back and sides with small brownish-red spots and broken brownish- 

 red bands ; the spots are arranged in two rows along the centre of 

 the back, many of them being partly brownish and partly pv;re 

 white; the bands are two on each side, from behind the ear-opening 

 to the base of the hind limb. Lower parts dead-white. — Interior of 

 S. Africa. 



E. formosa. Intermediate between yellowish brown and buff or 

 orange, which colour is bordered on each side by two longitudinal 

 bands extending from the head to the base of the tail, the outer 

 narrow, of a light straw-yellow and in some specimens interrupted, 

 the inner considerably wider, continuous, and of a deep liver-brown ; 

 sides dull yellowish brown, freckled with liver-brown, and variegated 

 with a few dark liver-brown rings surrounding light straw-yellow 

 spots. Lower parts dull bluish white. — West Coast of S. Africa, 

 more especially in the neighbourhood of the Orange Eiver. 



* In 3 specimens. — In the larger type of E. pulcheUa a small shield separates 

 the nasals. 



t In 4 specimens. 



+ In a female from Graaf Reinet (Kimberley Mus.) the parietal is divided 

 into two by a transverse suture. 



§ According to Werner. 



11 9 to 17 accordinsj to "Werner. 



