222 Lacertidse. 



28 to 34 scales and plates round middle of body ; 10 to 13 femoral 

 pores on each side ; occipital small or very small ; nostril 

 between 3 shields ... "Var. mieolepis. 



38 to 49 (usually 40 to 46) scales and plates round middle of 

 body; 10 to 16 (usually 11 to 15) femoral pores on' each, side; 

 coUar and gular fold often distinct; occipital small or very 

 small ...... .... Var. scMueteri. 



Of these forms the last must be regarded as, on the -whole, the 

 most primitive, and leading, through the typical form, to the 

 vars. ehrenhergii and miwlepis. The var. persicus is directly connected 

 with the typical form. 



6. OPHIOPS MICEOLEPIS. 



Ophiops (Gymnops) microlepis, Blanf. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xxxix, 

 1870, p. 351, pi. XV, figs. 1-5. 



Gymnops microlepis, Stoliczka, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xli, 1872, p. 90, 

 and Proc. As. Soc. Beng. 1872, p. 74. 



Ophiops microlepis, Bouleng. Cat. Liz. iii, p. 77 (1887), and Paun. 

 Ind., Kept. p. 176 (1890). 



Body rather strongly depressed. Head much depressed, l-f- to If 

 times as long as broad, its depth equal to the distance between the 

 centre of the eye and the tympanum, ite length about 3f to 4 times in 

 length to vent ; snout pointed, with the nasals feebly swollen, longer 

 than the postocular part of the head, flattened, with the labials pro- 

 jecting beyond the edge of the mouth and forming an obtusely 

 angular ridge, with sharp canthus and concave loreal region, the chin 

 quite flat ; a feeble concavity on the upper surface of the snout and on 

 the anterior half of the frontal shield, bordered by two very feeble 

 keels on the frontonasal and prefrontal shields ; nostril supero-lateral ; 

 a sharp keel below the eye. Pileus 2 J to 2^ times as long as broad. 

 Neck as broad as or a little narrower than the head. The hind limb 

 reaches the ear or between the ear and the eye ; foot If to 1 J as long as 

 the head ; digits long and slender, strongly compressed. Tail a little 

 more than twice as long as head and body.* 



Upper head-shields smooth ; nostril pierced between 2 or 3 shields ; 

 nasals forming a suture behind the rostral ; frontonasal broader than 

 long ; prefrontals longer than broad, forming an extensive median 

 suture ; frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, If 

 to 2 times as long as broad, narrower behind than in front ; parietals 

 longer than broad, with the posterior border very oblique ; inter- 



* Nearly twice and a half in the type specimen, according to Blanford. 



