370 



S A U R I A. 



when the anterior pair is extended backwards alongside the body, the 

 extremity of the longest finger is far from reaching the groin ; whilst 

 the posterior pair, in being stretched forwards, sends the tip of its 

 longest toe to the axilla. 



The cephalic plates are, generally speaking, quite small and smooth ; 

 they are somewhat more developed upon the frontal region than else- 

 where, and irregularly arranged. Those occupying the supraocular 

 region are likewise more conspicuous than the occipital ones, and 

 sometimes disposed upon a curve, contiguous to the vertex region. 

 The nostrils, which open at the posterior margin of a subelliptical 

 plate, the largest of the cephalic group, are situated on the upper sur- 

 face of the snout, within the supraciliary ridge, and much nearer to 

 the tip of the snout than to the anterior rim of the orbit. The supra- 

 ciliary ridge is composed of very small and thin plates immediately 

 above the eye, and larger in advance of these organs; it may be 

 traced to the inferior edge of the nasal plate. The rostral is rather 

 small, depressed, and subconvex superiorly. A series of four small 

 plates may be observed along the upper edge of the rostral, thus sepa- 

 rating entirely the latter from the nasals and frontals. There are 

 eight upper labials : the anterior three being the smallest; the others, 

 nearly equal-sized, are longer than high. The loral region is covered 

 with small and irregular plates, three series of which may be traced 

 beneath the orbit, as supralabials. There are three suborbitals : the 

 middle one very long, and subconvex ; the anterior and posterior ones 

 quite small. The margin of the eyelid is provided with a double series 

 of plates, those constituting the inner series being subquadrangular, 

 whilst in the outer series, they assume a subconical aspect. The sur- 

 face of the eyelid itself is granular. The plates of the infero-posterior 

 portion of the temporal region are somewhat larger than the antero- 

 superior. The syinphyseal plate is well developed, subhexagonal in 

 shape, narrower anteriorly than posteriorly. We observe also eight 

 lower labials, but they are all nearly equal-sized, being subquadrilate- 

 ral, a little longer than high. There is a series of seven or eight well- 

 developed mental shields, diminishing in size posteriorly. Three series 

 of small and irregular scales may be observed between the latter and 

 the labials. The throat is covered with subrhomboid scales, somewhat 

 smaller than on the abdomen. The neck is smooth beneath, and 

 wrinkled laterally. The wrinkles are meandriform, and, by a mis- 

 take, were not represented on Figure 8. The entire surface occupied 



