134 LYGOSOMA LATERALIS. 



and touch each other only by an acute angle in front of the vertical plate; the 

 centro-frontal is also irregularly pentagonal, most extensive in the transverse 

 direction, and with its two posterior articulating facets slightly incurvated for the 

 frontal plates; the nasal plate is single and quadrilateral; the rostral is sub-trian- 

 gular, straight below and rounded above. There are three anterior orbital plates, 

 quadrilateral, the superior largest, and between these and the nasal are two small, 

 irregularly-quadrilateral loral plates. The occipital plates arc five in number, all 

 nearly of the same size; the two anterior are triangular, and reach near to the 

 vertex; the middle one has nearly the same form, and the external are oblong. 



The nostrils are small, lateral, and open upwards and outwards in the midst of 

 a single nasal plate; the eyes are small, the pupil is black, and the iris is of 

 dusky-grey and very small. 



The tympanum is apparent, the entrance large, with its anterior margin 

 destitute of projecting scales: two or three rows of very wide scales usually 

 follow the occipital plates. 



The body is elongated, cylindrical, and nearly of the same size throughout, 

 and covered, both above and below, with small, smooth, rhomboidal scales, 

 most extensive transversely, imbricated, and disposed in thirty longitudinal rows. 

 The vent is transverse, with large scales in front, and smaller ones behind; of 

 the former, the two central are largest. The tail is round, exceedingly long, 

 stout, and only diminishes in size suddenly near the tip, and is covered with 

 scales similar to those of the body. 



The anterior extremities are small and short; the fingers are five in number, 

 each furnished with a minute and curved nail; the posterior extremities are 

 rounded; the toes five in number, each with a nail; the inferior surface of the 

 fingers is serrated, from the projecting points of the scales or tubercles; the 

 soles of the feet are also studded with small tubercles of equal size. 



