138 THE EEPTILES OF EGYPT. 
Varanus ocellatus, Heyden. (Plate XVII.) 
Varanus ocellatus, Heyden, RiippeH's Atlas nordl. Afr. 1827, pp. 21-24, pi. 6; Lefebvre, Abyss. 
Zool. vi. 1845-50, p. 197; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. 1862, p. 271 ; Blanford, Abyss. 1870, 
p. 445 ; Gasco, Viagg. Egitto, pt. ii. 1876, p. 106 ; Blgr. Cat. Liz. B. M. ii. 1 885, p. 308 ; Ann. 
Mus. Civ. Genova, ser. 2, xvi. (xxxvi.) 1896, p. 550 ; op. cit. ser. 2, xvii. (xxxvii.) 1896, p. 17, 
1897, p. 278; Proc. Zool. Soc. 1895, p. 534; op. cit. 1896, p. 215 ; Boettger, Kat. Kept. 
Mus. Senck. 1893, p. 69 ; Tornier, Thierm. O.-Afr. Rept. 1896, p. 38. 
Monitor ocellatus, part., Gray, Syn. Griffith's An. King. ix. 1831, p. 25; Riippell, Mus. Senck. iii. 
1845, p. 301 ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. 1870, p. 109. 
Empagusia ocellata. part., Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. i. 1838, p. 393. 
Varanus albigulans, Boettger, Zool. Anz. 1893, pp. 115, 132. 
Varanus microstictus, Boettger, Kat. Rept. Mus. Senck. 1893, p. 72. 
Teeth stout, conical. Snout depressed at its tip ; canthus rostralis rounded ; nostril 
oblique, rather large, twice as far from the end of the snout as from the eye. Tail 
more or less rounded at the base, posteriorly compressed, with a double-edged dorsal 
ridge, slightly shorter or longer than the body and head. Digits short and stout. 
Scales on the head rather large, markedly so on the forehead, smallest on the supra- 
ocular region. Scales in 90-95 rows across the middle of the body, large, flat, smooth, 
elongately oval, rounded or pear-shaped, largest on the neck, where they are larger 
than the scales on the forehead. Skin of body thrown into marked transverse and 
oblique furrows. Ventrals large, smooth, 68 to 75 transverse rows from the collar to 
the inguinal fold. Caudal scales more or less keeled, more especially on the dorsal 
surface, in 102-124 verticils. 
In life, according to Heyden, the whole upper surface is brownish grey. Six, 
seldom eight, large, oval, clear spots on the back, each margined with a dark ring, 13 
or 14 in each longitudinal row, and each spot enclosing about four scales. Upper 
surface of the tail more or less banded with brown. The under surface greyish yellow. 
The sides of the belly marked with the beginning of dark bands, which become 
stronger above. Eyes reddish yellow ; pupil black. 
In an adult from Anseba valley, the yellow spots are obscurely indicated and the 
general colour of the upper surface is yellowish brown marked with blackish spots, 
the dark bands on the sides of the belly feebly marked. A broad brown band, the 
breadth of the temporal area, is prolonged backwards along the side of the neck to the 
shoulder, and obscurely on to the fore limb, and another but narrow similarly coloured 
band runs from the upper margin of the ear backwards, separated from the former by 
a yellowish interspace. Under surface rather rich gamboge-yellow. 
The band that passes on to the limb seems to be the equivalent of the well-defined 
band of V. albigularis that bends abruptly forwards on to the pectoral area. 
Snout to vent 375 millim. ; tail 367 millim. 
