10 SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



annulatd, nunquam ad apiccm nigrd, subtus albidus. Long, tola poll. 5 6, cauda f totlus 

 longitudinis stibcequante. 



1,2, south of Yarkand; 3-9, Yarkand; 10-16, Akrobat near Yarkand; 17-20, Kizil ; 21-33, Yangihissar all 

 in Eastern Turkestan. 



Description. General form depressed ; head not so short as in P. theobaldi, P. olivieri, 

 &c., and tail longer. In adults the fore limh falls short of the thigh, or barely reaches it ; the 

 hind limb extends to the eye ; the tail is one-third to one-half longer than the body with the 

 head. The base of the tail is depressed and slightly dilated, thence the tail tapers gradually ; 

 it can be coiled upwards near the end. Toes rather long ; the fourth toe on the hind foot 

 exceeds the third by more than the length of the claw, and has both sides fringed ; the outer 

 edge of the third toe is also fringed ; the fifth toe of the hind foot without the claw falls short 

 of the point of union of the third and fourth toes. Claws yellowish, strong ; the claw of the 

 fifth toe on the hind foot longer than the rest. Nine to ten triangular teeth on each side in both 

 jaws ; six pointed anterior teeth in the upper jaw, four in the lower ; the outer pair in each 

 jaw elongate. The largest specimen measures 6' 25 inches, of which the tail from the anus is 

 3'75, head 0'75, fore limb to the end of the toes 1'4, hind limb 2'2. 



Scales of the head above convex, tubercular, not varying much in size, as a rule ; each 

 nostril in a larger scale, sometimes divided horizontally. Scales of the superciliary ridge 

 larger ; each eyelid with a fringe of about nine rather larger scales, the lower row pointed. 

 Upper labials twenty-seven to thirty-one, with convex margins ; rostral scarcely larger. Mental 

 or lower rostral generally much larger than the lower labials, which are, as a rule, rather fewer 

 in number than the upper labials. Scales near the lower labials rather larger than the remain- 

 ing scales of the throat. Scales of the body about the same size above and below ; all on the 

 back and belly are smooth, rhomboidal, and arranged in transverse rows, those on the back 

 subimbricate ; on the sides they are smaller and more granular, especially behind the 

 shoulder, where the red patch consists of small granular scales. I count from 95 to 103 

 scales round the middle of the body in adults, rather fewer in young specimens. Scales 

 on the limbs usually rather bluntly keeled above, smooth below ; those beneath the feet 

 sharply keeled, cross-plates beneath the toes with several keels. The pointed scales forming 

 a fringe on the outer side of the fourth toe on the hind foot are longer than those on the 

 inside of the same toe, or on the outside of the third toe. On none of the other toes is there 

 any distinct free margin. Tail scales all keeled, except at the extreme base ; they are about 

 the same size as the back scales, and are arranged in rings ; the keels form longitudinal 

 lines below the tail, but not above ; at each side of the tail close to the base is a large patch 

 of spinose scales. 



Colour above pale slaty-grey, nearly uniform or speckled with whitish, or, in young 

 individuals especially, with three or four dark crossbands on the body. In some cases the 

 back is tinged in parts with pale copper red. Dusky crossbands on the limbs and tail. In the 

 middle of the tail, about 1*5 inch from the end, two or three dusky bands pass round the under 

 surface ; these are sometimes nearly black, at other times so faint as to be barely perceptible, 

 but they are not entirely absent in any of the specimens collected ; end of the tail never 

 black. Lower parts white throughout, except the bands round the tail. Behind the axil, so 

 as to be partly concealed by the fore limb when laid back along the body, there is a red patch 

 at each side ; this in the living animal is said by Dr. Stoliczka to be bordered by blue. The 

 red colour has faded greatly in spirit, but can still be detected. 



