202 APPENDIX F. REPTILES. 



parallel. Vertical rather shorter than occipitals. Greatest breadth across 

 superciliaries less than half the length of the portion covered by plates. 

 Occipitals moderate. Centre of eye considerably anterior to the centre 

 of commissure, over the junction of the 4th and 5th labials. Labials 8 

 above, increasing in size to the 5tb, which is elongated vertically, the 

 *7th elongate and largest. The 5th forms part of the inferior and pos- 

 terior wall of the orbit, as in all the species of the genus, resting above 

 against the lower postorbital, with which the 6th labial is not in con- 

 tact. Dorsal scales broader than in Bascanion constrictor, their sides 

 perfectly straight^ slightly truncate, with the corners rounded. Exterior 

 row largest, rest gradually diminishing. Scales on the tail widely 

 truncate. 



The general color, both above and below, may be described as a dull 

 straw-yellow, tinged with light olivaceous brown above. This latter 

 tint exists in the form of a shading on the centres and towards the tips 

 of the scales, leaving the bases yellowish. The proportion of brown 

 increases towards the back, and in older specimens sometimes suppresses 

 the yellow. In all instances a darker shade is seen towards the tip of 

 each scale. The skin between the scales is yellowish. The scuteHs 

 anteriorly exhibit each two rather large brownish blotches, one on each 

 side of the median line, constituting two rows on the abdomen, which 

 fade out posteriorly. Sometimes the series are not discernible, the 

 blotches spreading so as to constitute a dark shade to the margins and 

 exterior edges of the scutellse. The posterior portions of the plates 

 under, and on the sides of the head, are similarly blotched ; the same 

 tendency being observable on the posterior edges of the plates on the 

 top of the head, by the deeper shade of the olivaceous brown there pre- 

 valent. Anteorbitals yellow. One specimen was procured 5*7|- inches 

 long. Abdominal scutellse 191 + 2. The tip of the tail is missing. 



In smaller specimens the blotching beneath is rather more decided. 

 In addition to the colors described, the back is crossed by indistinct 

 bars of darker, eight or nine scales wide and half a scale long. This 

 color is also seen on the skin between the scales under the dark bars, 

 where the bases of the scales themselves are darker instead of light. 

 There is a tendency towards stripes on the side : first one of light brown, 

 on the outer edge of the abdomen ; then an interrupted yellow one at 

 the junction of the abdominal scutellse and outer scales ; then brown 

 again through the centres of the rows. This, however, is not very con- 

 spicuous. Sometimes the dark shades on the sides are tinged with red- 

 dish. The obsolete transverse bars are seen at intervals of one or two 

 scales. 



