Eremias. 309 



Eremias velox, var. persica, Boettg. in Eadde, Faun. Flor. Casp.- 

 G«b. p. 50 (1886). 



Eremias velox, var. rohorowsMi, Bedriaga, Ann. Miis. Zool. St. 

 Petersb. x, 1907, p. 181, and op. cit. p. 516, pi. viii, fig. 11. 



Eremias velox sirauchi, Nikolsky, Herp. Caucas. p. 98. 



Head and body moderately depressed. Head \\ to If times as long 

 as broad, its length 3^ to 4 times in length to vent in males, 3f to 4^^ 

 times in females, its depth, equal to the distance between the anterior 

 corner of the eye and the tympanum ; snout pointed, with more or less 

 swollen nasals, as long as the postocular part of the head ; canthus 

 rostraUs strong, loreal region feebly concave ; a more or less distinct 

 concavitT on the upper surface of the snout, from the frontonasal to 

 the middle or the posterior extremity of the frontal. Pileus 2 to 2i 

 times as long as broad. Neck as broad as the head or a little con- 

 stricted. Hind limb reaching the shoulder, the collar, or between the 

 collar and the ear in males, the axU, the shoulder, or the collar in 

 females * ; foot as long as the head or a little longer, not more than 

 li times ; toes moderately slender, feebly compressed. Tail li to a 

 little over 2 times as long as head and body, more or less flattened at 

 the base, feebly compressed posteriorly. 



Upper head-shields flat or i-ather convex, usually smooth, i-arely 

 rugose ; nasals in contact behind the rostral, the suture between them 

 ^ to f the length of the frontonasal, which is broader than long : pre- 

 frontals as long as broad or longer than broad, forming a median 

 suture t; frontal as long as or shorter than its distance from the end 

 of the snout. If to 2 times as long as broad, narrow behind ; parietals 

 as long as broad or a little longer than broad ; interparietal usually 

 smaller than the frontoparietals, sometimes much smaller, rarely as 

 large ; no occipital. Two large supraoculars, the fb-st as long as or a 

 little shorter than tlie second and as long as or longer than its distance 

 from the second loreal,J the space in front of it filled by one or two 

 shields and gi-anules, or a number of small granular scales ; a small 

 posterior supraocular, usually band-like, rarely broken up into granules : 

 exceptionallv § a complete series of granular scales between the supra- 

 oculars and the frontal ; 5 to 7 superciliaries, rarely 4 or 8, first 



* A single female specimen from the Ferghana district is remarkable for the 

 very short hind limb, which reaches only the elbow. 



+ Exceptionally with a smaU azygos shield between them {E. strauchi, 

 Kessler). 



X One exception (male from Tehindcheili). 



§ In 9 specimens out of 36 examined. 



