Holaspis. 379 



scales very small, longer tlian broad, smooth or feebly keeled ; 62 to 

 84 plates and scales across the middle of the body. Ventral plates 

 quadrangular, the transverse series with rectilinear border, in 

 6 longitudinal and 25 to 31 transverse series. A moderately large 

 preanal plate, bordered by a semicircle of smaller plates, the median 

 of which is sometimes transversely enlarged. 



A series of transversely enlarged plates on tlie upper surface of 

 the fore limb ; upper surface of hind limb with small granular scales. 

 16 to 24 femoral pores on each side, the two series sometimes meeting 

 in the middle. 16 to 20 lamellae under the fourtli toe. 



Nearly the whole of the tail occupied by a double series of large 

 transverse plates, above and below, usually longer and shorter 

 alternately, the lateral edge with large triangular curved scales 

 forming a strong serration ; on the basal part of the tail, a series 

 of small scales intervenes between the large plate and the scales 

 forming the lateral serration.* 



Black above, the head with tlii'ee yellowish longitudinal streaks, 

 the median extending from the rostral to the occipital or a little 

 prolonged on the nape and expanded on the frontal, the lateral 

 narrower, originating on the first supraocular and extending on the 

 parietal, converging towards its fellow to approximate it on the nape 

 and continued on the bodv ; 6 vellowish or bluish-green streaks on the 

 body, the median pair broadest, nearly as broad as or much nari-ower 

 than the space between them, and uniting on the tail ; the two other 

 streaks on each side starting from behind the eye and from the upper 

 lip respectively, then sometimes extending on the fore limb. In the 

 specimen from TJsambara (subsp. Ixvls, Werner), and in the one 

 from Zomba, thei'e is only one light lateiul streak, pi'oceeding fi-om 

 the upper lip, quite as broad as the dorsal. Hind limbs greenish 

 above, sometiines spotted with black, and with black base in front. 

 Tail blue above and l)eneath, with black bars or cross-lines, above 

 with two black longitudinal streaks. Lower parts greenish Ijlue, blue, 

 bluish grey, or greyish white. t 



According to Tornier the belly is sometimes black in the young. 



Measui'ements (in millimetres) : 



From end of snout to vent . 



,, ,, ,, fore limb 



Length of head . 

 AVidth of head . 

 Depth of head 



* The soalino- of the regenerated tail does not differ. 



t Belly orang-e in life, according- to Schmidt, 



