Acanthodactylus. 85 



feeble but distinct. Collar free, curved, composed of 8 to 12 

 plates. , 



Scales granular and keeled on the nape, large, flat, rhombic, sharply 

 keeled, as long as broad, rounded or obtusely pointed behind on the 

 back, the posterior more or less imbricate, increasing in size towards 

 the tail, but considerably smaller than the basal caudals ; scales on 

 the sides much smaller, more or less distinctly or even strongly 

 keeled, and either merging into the dorsals or abruptly differentiated ; 

 34 to 52 (usually 38 to 43) scales across the middle of the body,* 

 of which 16 to 20 are enlarged dorsals ; 12 to 14 (rarely 16) large 

 keeled scales in a transverse series between the hind limbs. Ventral 

 plates in regular longitudinal and transverse series, all except the 

 outermost broader than long, the largest rarely twice as broad as long, 

 in 10 longitudinal and 27 to 32 (usually 29 or 30) transverse series. 

 Males with 2 to 4 enlarged preanal plates on the median line, the 

 last usually 2 to 3 times as broad as long ; in females these plates are 

 smaller and the preanal region is often covered with small, subequal, 

 irregular plates. 



21 to 31 (usually 22 to 28) femoral pores on each side, the two 

 series meeting or narrowly separated in the middle. Digits with 

 3 series of scales ; toes strongly denticulate, especially on the outer 

 side of the fourth toe, where the lobes of the fringe are as long as 

 or a little shorter than the diameter of the toe ; 20 to 24 uni- or 

 tricarinate lamellae under the fourth toe. 



Upper caudal scales large, the basal broader than long, sharply 

 keeled, rounded, truncate, or obtusely pointed behind, sometimes 

 shortly mucronate, lower smooth in the basal part of the tail ; 18 to 

 22 scales in the fourth or fifth whorl. 



Young with 6 (rarely 4) white strealis on the upper surface of 

 the body, sometimes 6 or 7 on the nape,t and one on each side, 

 separated by dark grey or blackish broader streaks, which may be 

 spotted with white ; 4 and then 3 white streaks on the base of the 

 tail ; limbs with large round white spots ; tail red towards the end. 

 This striation may persist in the adult, well marked or faint, or the 

 dark streaks may be replaced by series of black and white spots, 

 or the upper parts may be yellowish with four red longitudinal bands ; 

 exceptionally with a blacksh network enclosing round whitish spots. 

 Lower parts white. 



* 52 in the type specimen, as counted by Lataste. Otherwise the number of 

 scales does not exceed 47 in the specimens examined by me. 



+ The type specimen figured by Daudin shows two pairs of dorsal streaks 

 and a vertebral ending half-way down the back. 



