4 SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



tympanum, et in fascicules ad latera colli et supra humeros dispositis ; caudalibus carinatis, 

 mucronatis, verticillatis, dorsales mar/nitudine mx excedentibus ; stramineus, capite dorsoque 

 posteriore nigro-punctatis, dorso anteriore nigro, stramineo transversim fasciato. 



1-7, Yangihissar, 8, Karghalik, south of Yarkand, both in the plains of Eastern Tnrkestan. 



Description. General form apparently more slender than in Stellio caucasicus or 

 S. tuberculatus ; body and base of tail depressed ; tail 1*5 times to nearly twice the length 

 of the body ; the fore limb laid backward does not reach the thigh (except in very young 

 specimens) ; the hind limb laid forward extends to about the ear. Head depressed, its 

 length considerably exceeding its breadth. The largest specimen collected measures 14- 75 

 inches, of which the head and body from the snout to the anus measure 5'4, fore limb to end 

 of toes 2'6 inches, hind limb nearly 4, third toe of hind foot without the claw, measured from 

 between the third and fourth toes, 0'65. In a smaller specimen the head and body measure 4'6, 

 tail 8 inches. 



The scales on the upper surface of the head are convex, those on the occiput being 

 submucronate, those on the supra-orbital bosses are rather smaller and flat. Supra-orbital 

 ridge and canthus rostralis prominent, loreal region concave, bearing small scales, some of 

 which, like most of the scales on the side of the head, are bluntly keeled. Nostrils directed 

 backwards, situated in the hinder part of a single shield below the canthns. Rostral more 

 than twice as broad as high. Labials not much larger than the neighbouring scales. Mental 

 the same breadth as the rostral and pointed below. Eyelids covered with small granular 

 scales, those along the edges of the lids rather larger and pointed. Some rather large 

 scales bluntly keeled or submucronate between the eye and the tympanum. Some spinose 

 scales round the tympanum : groups of spinose scales are scattered over the sides and back 

 of the neck, the former being the larger. There is no trace of a crest. Sides of the neck 

 between the larger scales covered with very small conically mucronate scales. 



Scales on the back of the neck granular, passing gradually into the bluntly keeled 

 scales of the middle of the back ; these are considerably larger than the scales of the sides, 

 being about twice as broad. The scales on the lateral portions of the body are distinctly 

 keeled, in tolerably well-marked transverse rows, and nearly uniform in size, but few con- 

 spicuously larger scales being scattered amongst them in general, though a few may occasion- 

 ally be detected here and there, and these are patches of enlarged subspinose scales of pale 

 colour about the shoulders. There is no patch of enlarged scales in the middle of the sides. 

 Scales of the belly smooth, rhomboidal, about the same size as those in the middle of the 

 back, and arranged in transverse series, containing towards the middle of the belly from fifty- 

 eight to sixty-seven scales, tending, however, to pass into the keeled scales at the sides. I 

 count about 150 to 160 scales round the middle of the body. The throat scales are similar 

 to those of the abdomen, but much smaller. 



In males there are two or three rows of thickened scales before the anus ; in females the 

 scales are a little larger than those adjoining, but not thickened. There is no patch of thickened 

 scales in the middle of the abdomen, as there is in Stellio caucasicus, and several other species 

 of the genus. All the limb scales are keeled, those above sharply, those below, and espe- 

 cially on the hind limb, faintly ; those on the back of the thigh small, with a few larger and 

 subspinose scales scattered amongst them ; scales below the feet keeled, very similar to those 

 above ; toes covered beneath with transverse plates, each with several keels. Tail scales, 



