LIZARDS OF THE GENUS TROPIDOPHOUUS. 777- 



of the dorsal shields, they show considerable variation,' but I 

 cannot find any satisfactory combination upon which they can be 

 racially separated. Some ha,ve the scales smooth, some have 

 them faintly keeled, others more strongly. Each locality has its 

 own slight variation. Where one adult has smooth scales, all 

 the other adults from that place have the same, and vice versa. 



All the Burmese examples have two loreal shields, one behind 

 the other. Most of the Siamese individuals have three, the 

 anterior one being divided horizontally. The pra?frontal shields 

 may be in contact, or separated, or have a small shield interposed 

 between them, ii respective of locality. 



The following table shows the variation in the specimens I 

 have examined : — 



BURMA. SIAM. 



Localitj'. Scales. Locality. Scales. 



Mergui 32-34 S. of Utaradit. 32-36 



Tenasserim 36-40 Doi Nga Chang, 36-38 



N. Siam. 



Takoo Mts., Central 36-38 Me Wang forest, 32-36 

 Tenasserim. E". Siam. 



Pegu 40 



Bia Po, Karin Hills ... 34 



Bhamo 32 



The allied Boruean T. heccarii (Peters) appears to have a 

 variation similar to that of T. herdmorei, and T. mocquardi 

 Boulenger should, in my opinion, be united with it. The speci- 

 mens in the British Museum show the range in scale-rows to be 

 from 28-36 round the body ; apart from this I can find no 

 character upon which they can be separated. 



2. Tropidopuohus laotus, sp. n. 



Types. Adults 6 and $, authors Nos. 5410 and 5414, col- 

 lected at Muang Liep, N. of Pak Lai, Upper Mekong, French 

 Laos, in January 1920. Presented to the British Museum 

 (Natural History). 



Description of the types. — Upper head-shields smooth ; a pair 

 of fronto-nasals, each one longer than broad : prfefrontals sepa- 

 rated by a small azygos shield ; frontal as long. as the parietal and 

 fronto- parietal together; parietals in suture behind the inter- 

 parietals; 4 supraoculars, 1st largest, 1st and 2nd in contact 

 with the frontal, 4th entering the supraciliary border ; nostril in a 

 single shield ; two suj^erposed a,nterior loreals, succeeded by a larger 

 posterior one ; 6 supralabials, 4th largest and forming subocular ; 

 5 infralabials, the first longest and in contact with the postmental 

 and first chin-shield ; temporals small and like the body-scales, 

 except the superior, which is much larger; a single postmental 

 succeeded by two pairs of large shields. Tympanum as large as 

 the eye-opening. , . 



