176 THE REPTILES OF EGYPT. 
four to six superciliaries, with a line of granules between them and the second and third 
supraoculars ; interparietal considerably smaller than a frontoparietal, in contact with 
the occipital ; usually two loreals, rarely three, exceptionally four ; the subocular enters 
the labial margin between the fourth and fifth labials, but occasionally between the 
third and fourth, and fifth and sixth ; transparent ocular disk generally broken up into 
small pieces, usually two ; ear not denticulated ; temporals smooth, granular ; the anterior 
pairs of chin-shields in contact. A transverse gular fold ; collar attached at the middle, 
feebly developed in some. Dorsal scales juxtaposed, almost granular, slightly increased 
in size between the thighs and sometimes obtusely keeled in that region ; 42 to 61 
across the middle of the body including the ventrals. Ventrals generally nearly as broad 
as long, in 8 to 10 longitudinal series; 26 to 35 in the mesial line from the collar to the 
pores ; prseanal plate large, with a semicircle of smaller plates ; 10 to 15 femoral pores. 
Limbs well developed, longer in the males than in the females, the hind limb in the 
former reaches between the shoulder and the ear, and in the latter to near the 
shoulder. Tail sometimes less than twice the length of the head and body, but 
generally more than twice as long. Caudal scales more or less feebly keeled above, 
smooth below at the base of the tail, but afterwards obtusely keeled. 
Greyish olive or olive-brown above, covered with spots usually arranged somewhat 
in longitudinal series, one half of a spot being generally black and the other half 
white : the spots all but disappear in some ; in others there are longitudinal pale 
lines or bands along the sides, one arising behind the ear and the other over it, each 
margined above by a deep brown band. Under surface generally white, but the throat 
sometimes dusky, and all the ventrals and under surface of the limbs finely punctulated 
with the same colour. Others are irregularly spotted with black, forming more or less 
confluent spots, while in some there is a grey line along the mesial line of the back, 
with dark markings on either side of it. 
This and the following species are usually to be met with amid sparse vegetation 
and loose stones. 
This specjes and E. ruhropunctata lay five or six eggs in January, but both probably 
breed at other periods of the year as well. On the 24th of that month, 1 have 
measured eggs 10 millim. long and 6 broad, but in none of them was there any trace 
of an embryo. The smallest of the gravid females of this species was 47 millim., 
and the largest 53 millim. from snout to vent. 
Lichtenstein assigned this species to Egypt and Nubia. I have found it in Lower 
Egypt associated with E. rubropunctata. It is common in Upper Egypt, at Durrur on 
the shores of the Red Sea, on the plateau of Erkowit to the west of Suakin, and at 
Akik to the east of Tokar. It occurs in the Sinaitic Peninsula and Arabia, and 
ranges northwards to Southern Syria, and through Persia, Baluchistan, Afghanistan, 
S.E. Turkestan to Sind. It apparently extends across the whole of Northern Africa 
from the Red Sea to the shores of the Atlantic at Morocco. 
