no AMEIVA SEX-LIXEATA. 



Description. The head is rather short, compressed at the sides, and rounded 

 at the snout. The vertical plate is large and pentagonal, broad before, narrow 

 and slightly curved behind; there arc two large, irregularly rhomboidal, superior 

 orbital plates, which supply the place of bony orbits; in front of these is a smaller 

 plate, reaching to the frontal: on the outer margin of these latter are two series 

 of small scales, beyond ^^hich is a row of seven narrow, elongated plates, that 

 form the external margin of the orbit; the frontal plates are regularly pentagonal, 

 broadest externally; the centro-frontal broad transversely, rounded before, and 

 acute-angled behind; the nasal are quadrilateral, rather elongated, meeting in the 

 mesial line above; the opening for the nostril is in its most inferior part, near the 

 rostral plate, which is triangular, with its basis below and apex above and pro- 

 longed. There are five occipital plates, pentagonal, and nearly all of the same 

 size; the two anterior have between them a small triangular plate reaching to the 

 vertical, the three posterior are placed in a transverse row, and are surrounded by 

 small plates, of which there are several series behind. There are three inferior 

 orbital plates, placed nearly in a row — the central is quadrilateral, elongated and 

 narrow: the two others are very small. There is a single loral plate, pentagonal 

 and large, ascending to the plane of the forehead. The upper jaw is covered 

 at its inferior margin with a row of small, square, labial plates; the anterior only 

 is trigonal and smallest. There are two series of plates to the lower jaw, the 

 inferior largest. The eyes are rather small, with a dusky pupil and a golden iris; 

 the inner margins of the eyelids are bordered with a very narrow band of bright 

 yellow; the membrane of the tympanum is apparent, and of a palish white colour; 

 the entrance to it is round, and of large size. 



The body is elongated, and covered on the back and sides with minute scales; 

 the scales of the abdomen are large and arranged in rows, of which those nearest 

 the middle are largest. ' The tail is very long, perfectly cylindrical, and covered 

 with verticillated scales, carinated above and smooth below. The vent is trans- 

 verse, and has three large scales, placed in a triangle in front, and with smaller 

 scales behind. 



