Tachydromus. 147 



and the tympanum, its length 3i to 4 times in length to vent in males, 

 4 to 4i times in females ; snout acutely pointed, with sharp canthus 

 and nearly vertical loreal region, a little longer than postocular part of 

 head. Pileus 2^ to 2i times as long as broad. Neck narrower than 

 the head. Hind limb reaching the elbow or the axil in females, the 

 axil or the shoulder in males ; foot a little longer than the head. 

 Tail 2i to 3^ times as long as head and body. 



Nostril pierced between 3 or 4 shields. Eostral sometimes entering 

 the nostril; frontonasal as long as broad, or longer than broadi; 

 prefrontals forming a usually extensive suture ; frontal as long as or 

 a little shorter than its distance from the end of the snout, l-i to 2 

 times as long as broad, narrower behind than in front ; parietals 

 1^ to If times as long as broad ; interparietal 1^ to If times as long 

 as broad, often separated from the very small occipital by one or two 

 small shields or by the parietals meeting in the middle. 3 or 4 supra- 

 oculars,* first, if present, very small or reduced to a granule, second 

 usually longer than third, fourth small and sometimes broken up into 

 granules ; 4 or 5 superciliaries, first and second elongate, first often in 

 contact with the second supraocular ; a complete or incomplete series 

 of granules between the supraoculars and the superciliaries. Nasal 

 usually forming a suture with its fellow behind the rostral,t and with 

 the anterior loreal above the postnasal, which may be very small or 

 absent J ; anterior loreal shorter than second ; 4, rarely 6§ upper labials 

 anterior to the subocular, which is usually not or but little narrower 

 beneath than above. Temporal scales very small, granular, obtusely 

 keeled, 10 to 15 on a line between the orbit and the tympanum ; an 

 enlarged anterior upper temporal, exceptionally || in contact with the 

 fourth supraocular ; a very narrow tympanic shield usually present. 



3 pairs of chin-shields, first or first and second, exceptionally al] 

 threeH in contact in the middle. 21 to 34 gular scales in the median 

 line, anterior granular and faintly keeled, posterior increasing in size, 

 imbricate, keeled, and merging gradually into the plates of the 



* Of the 11 type specimens before me, 5 have 4 supraoculars, 5 have 3, and 1 

 has 4 on one side and 3 on the other. In the original description I noted 4 

 supraoculars in 19 cases out of 26. 



t Van Denburgh found the rostral in contact with the frontonasal in about 

 69 p. u. of the specimens from Amaima, about 10 p. o. of those from Kikaiga, 

 and about 5 p. c. of those from Okinawa. 



X Absent in one specimen. 



§ On one side only in 3 specimens. 



II In one specimen. 



11 In one specimen. Van Denburgh found 4 pairs of chin-shields in 12 cases, 

 and 3 on one side and 4 on the other in 16, out of 151 specimens. 



