238 SAURIA. 



their situation. Immediately in advance of the latter, are three or 

 four more subequal, small plates, constituting an inner series of post- 

 orbitals. There are four temporal shields : an upper elongated one, 

 and three lower, subrhomboid, smaller than the former. The auricular 

 aperture is small, subelliptical, simple : the tympanum being deeply 

 seated. The upper labials are well developed, and seven in number ; 

 the five anterior, subquadrangular and subequal ; the two posterior, 

 largest and subrhomboid. The symphyseal is hemidiscoid, and larger 

 than the rostral. The lower labials, of which five may be counted on 

 either side, are narrow and elongated ; the first and last much smaller 

 than the rest. The anterior odd mental shield is transversely elon- 

 gated ; the first pair being contiguous, and smaller than the second 

 pair, which is the largest, and diverges as well as the third and last 

 pair. 



The scales are proportionally large, for we count but twenty-six 

 longitudinal series around the body. Of these, six belong to the dorsal 

 region, properly so called; six also to the abdominal region, and seven 

 to each side. As usual, the lateral scales are the smallest ; the dorsal 

 and abdominal ones, on the other hand, are subequal. The two middle 

 preanal scales are somewhat larger than the rest. The caudal scales 

 are larger than those of the body, subequal, except the inferior middle 

 series, which is more develop9d transversely. 



The limbs are short and weak, as well as the fingers and toes ; the 

 anterior pair extends about to the third of the distance towards the 

 groins, and the posterior pair somewhat beyond the third of the dis- 

 tance towards the axillae : therefore, the two pairs do not meet when 

 directed towards one another. When the anterior pair is brought for- 

 wards alongside the neck, the longest finger stretches beyond the ear, 

 without, however, reaching the angle of the mouth. The palms and 

 soles are coarsely tubercular, and the inferior aspect of the fingers pro- 

 tected by transverse, well-developed, smooth plates. The third arid 

 fourth fingers are nearly equal ; the fourth toe is much the longest. 

 The nails are short, compressed, acerated, and slightly curved. 



The upper region is golden-green ; the back and tail speckled with 

 elongated small black spots, irregularly or rather obscurely disposed 

 upon longitudinal series. A dark chestnut or black streak, obsoletely 

 white-lined above, occupies each flank, from the ear to the base of the 

 tail. The lower half of the sides is greyish, speckled with elongated, 

 white and black spots. The upper aspect of the limbs, digits included, 



