JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL. 



Part II. —PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 

 No. IV.— 1881 



XV. — Notes on an apparently undescribed Varanus from Tenasserim and 

 on other Reptilia and Amphibia. — By W. T. Blanford, F. R. S. 



[Received November 3rd ; — Read December 7th, 1881.] 



(With Plate XVI.) 



The notes appended are on a few reptiles from very different parts of 

 the dependencies of British India, and on a species of Pseudophidian from 

 the Himalayas. The Varanus described has been in my possession for at 

 least three years, and I hoped to identify it with some known species, but 

 I have not succeeded in doing so. 



Varanus macrolepis, sp. no v. 

 V. digitis longiusculis ; naribus oblongis, obliquis, ab o cutis par urn 

 distantibus, subtus spectantibus ; squamis nuchalibus magnis, planulatis, 

 rotundatis ; dorsalibus paullo minoribus, sed multo majoribws quam in 

 cceteris speciebus Indicis vel Burmanis, ovatis, obtuse carinatis ; corpore 

 cauddque exempli juvenis fasciis latis nigris transversis ornatis. 



Description. — The toes are as long as in V. draccena and V. nebidosus, 

 the middle fore toe being considerably longer than half the distance 

 between the eye and the end of the snout. The nostril is peculiar : it is 

 in the anterior portion of a single large shield, and the opening is oblique, 

 directed backwards and downwards. The nasal shield is much nearer to 

 the eye than to the end of the snout, the distance from the latter being 

 about twice that of the former. Tympanum rather smaller and rounder 

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