Ophiops. 203 



strongly uni-, Li-, or tricarinate ; tympanic shield usually small or 

 absent, sometimes rather large. 



5 or 6 pairs of chin-shields, the three or two '•' anterior in contact in 

 the middle ; gular scales large, flat, imbricate, 14 to 18 in a straight 

 line between the symphysis of the chin-shields and the ventral plates ; 

 no gular fold ; collar indistinct in the middle, free and with 2 or 3 

 large plates on the sides. 



Scales large, rhombic and imbricate from the nape, gradually 

 increasing in size to the tail, with strong keels, straight or slightly 

 oblique, those on the nape sometimes bi- or tricarinate ; lateral scales 

 as large as or a little smaller than the dorsals, passing gradually into 

 the ventral plates, which form 6 or 8 longitudinal and 23 to 29 

 transverse series (23 to 27 in males, 26 to 29 in females) ; 28 to 33 

 scales and plates round the middle of the body. A large preanal 

 plate, bordered by one or two semicircles of smaller plates, or two 

 large preanal plates, one in front of the other. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia rhombic and keeled, as large as or 

 a little smaller than the dorsals. 7 to 12, rarely 6, femoral pores on 

 each side. Subdigital lamellae bi- or tricarinate, 17 to 20 under the 

 fourth toe. 



Caudal scales strongly keeled, upper larger than lower, 16 to 20 in 

 the fourth or fifth whorl behind the postanal granules. 



Yellowish grey or brown above,t with two yellowish white, dark- 

 edged streaks on each side, the upper from the superciliary edge to 

 the tail, the lower from the upper lip, through the tympanum, to 

 the base of the hind limb ; the space between the two lateral streaks 

 often with small black spots ; sometimes three series of large black 

 spots or cross-bars on each side, one above, one between, and one 

 below the light streaks ; tail often reddish. Lower parts white. The 

 specimen from Bellary (type of Galosaura chaperi, Sauv.) dark brown, 

 spotted with black all over, the white dorsolateral streak very distinct 

 and the lateral streak broken up into a series of round spots. 



Measurements (in millimetres) : 



* In 10 specimens ; 3 on one side and 2 on the otlier in one (Bellary). 

 t FresK specimens from Agra are described by Stoliczka as bronze brown, 

 sometimes with an olive and often a greenish metallic tint. 



