7-78 ■ MR. M, A. SMITU ON ASIATIC 



^ Thirty-three scales round the inidclle of the body in the S , 

 34 in the $ , all quite smooth ; ventrals largest, laterals smallest 

 and directe(l straight backwards ; a pair of enlarged praaauals ; a 

 series of enlarged scales beneath the tail. The hind-limb reaches 

 the wrist in the S , and not quite so far in the $ ; subdigital 

 lainelloB smooth, 18 to 20 beneath tlio 4th toes. 



Dark brown above, with ligliter black-edged V-shaped bars ; 

 sides of body with small white spots ; below whitish, throat and 

 tail thickly spotted with black. 



Variation. — The azygos shield separating the prefrontals varies 

 in size, and may be absent, when either the prajfrontals are in 

 contact or the frontal touches the fronto nasal. 32 scales round 

 the body occurs in nearly half the sei'ies. In one example 

 (No. 5416) there are only 30 scales. In the young the dorsal 

 scales are faintly keeled, and the limbs are proportionately longer, 

 the leg reaching the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore-limb. 



T. laotus is identical with the smooth-scaled form of T. hercl- 

 morei except for the divided fronto-nasal. Two examples 

 (Nos. 5412 and 5425 from Muang Liep and Nong Kai respec- 

 tively) have the fronto-nasal single as in true herdmorei ; but 

 with so large a series at hand I prefer to regard them as aberrant 

 examples of 1\ laotus. 



Sixty-eight specimens examined, from Muang Liep, Nong Kai, 

 Pak Maat, Pak Men, and Hoi King, all localities on the Mekong 

 river, to the north and south of, and within 80 kilometres of, 

 Pak Tiai. 



Adult males can be recognized from females by the broader 

 head at the angle of the jaw. Most of the ol<l males also have 

 the head-shields considerably scratched and scarred, and I gather 

 fi-oni this that a considerable amount of fighting amongst them- 

 selves takes place. 



Afeasurements of specimens o/T. laotus in mm. 



Author's No. ... 5410 5414 6411 5415 5440 5417 5424 



TTeiul nnd body 71 71 74 75 75 51 40 



Tail 95 105 100 90 105 82 62 



Length of liL'iul 18 17 17 17 19 13 ITS 



Width of head 12 10 11 11 12 8 C'S 



Fore-lhnb 20 19 20 20 21 14 12 



Hind-limb 30 27 28 30 31 21 18 



Sox , ^ ? ? ? ^ juv. juv. 



No. of scales 33 34 34 34 32 32 32 



3. TllOPIDOPHORUS ROBINSON!. 



Tropidophorus rohinsoni Mlcm. Smith, Journ. N. II. S. Siam, 

 1919, iii. p. 223. 



Besides the large series from the typo-locality there are six 

 specimens from Tavoy, Tennsserim, in the Indian Museum 

 (Nos. 12722-12727). They agree with the types in every 

 respect. 



