Ig Laceriidse. 



Nasals forming a short or very short suture behind the rostral; 

 frontonasal broader than long, broader than the internarial space; 

 prefrontals forming a short or very short suture ; frontal as long as 

 its distance from the end of the snout, l^ to If times as long as 

 broad, narrower, behind, than the supraoculars ; frontoparietals much 

 shorter than the frontal or than their distance from the posterior 

 border of the pileus ; parietals If times as long as broad, outer border 

 sometimes emarginate for the accommodation of the anterior upper 

 temporal ; interparietal narrow, 3 times as long as the occipital, which 

 may be broader or rudimentary and pushed back behind the pileus ; 

 parietals and interparietal shorter in proportion to their width in the 

 very young. Tour supraoculars, first and fourth small ; first narrowly 

 in contact with the frontal ; 6 or 6 superciliaries ; 2 to 4 small scales 

 between the supraoculars and the superciliaries. Two superposed 

 postnasals ; anterior loreal barely half as long as second ; 4 upper 

 labials anterior to the subocular, which is usually narrower beneath 

 than above ; an elongate upper temporal, in contact with the fourth 

 supraocular, followed by 2 or 3 smaller shields ; temple covered with 

 small hexagonal or granular scales, which are about as large as the 

 dorsals ; a round or oval tympanic shield. Lower eyelid with 5 or 

 6 vertically enlarged scales in the middle. 



Parietal foramen and pterygoid teeth present. 



Gular scales small, juxtaposed, increasing in size and imbricate 

 towards the collar, 27 to 36 in a straight longitudinal series ; no 

 gular fold. Collar even-edged or feebly serrated, composed of 10 to 

 13 plates. 



Scales on body oval, juxtaposed, smooth, 40 to 44 across the middle 

 of the body, 2 and 3 on the side corresponding to a ventral plate. 

 Ventral plates in 6 or 8 longitudinal series, those of the second series 

 from the median line the broadest, and 29 to 34 transverse series. 

 Preanal plate large, with a smaller one on each side and a large pair 

 in front, or two subequal preanals, one in front of the other. 



A series of 4 to 7 transversely enlarged plates on the lower surface 

 of the fore limb. Scales on upper surface of tibia smaller than 

 the dorsals. 11 to 14 femoral pores on each side. 20 to 25 lamellar 

 scales under the fourth toe. 



Caudal scales forming whorls of nearly equal length, upper rather 

 narrow, the median pair sometimes broader, rather strongly keeled, 

 truncate behind, with distinct sensory pits. 



The type specimen, a female from Latakoo, near Kuruman, now 

 rather bleached, has the markings well preserved, although the black has 

 turned to a pale brown, and answers to A. Smith's diagnosis : " Colour 



