336 Lacertidse. 



space ; frontal pentagonal or hexagonal, li to 2 times as long as- 

 broad, as long as its distance from the nasals, narrower than the supra- 

 oculars"' ; parietals 1 J- to If times as long as broad, rarely in contact 

 with the upper postocular, outer border straight or slightly convex and 

 in contact with 5 to 9 upper temporals, of which the first may be 

 narrow and elongate. Occipital shorter and often a little broader than 

 the interparietal.f Pour supraoculars, first and fourth smaller but 

 rather large, sometimes divided into two, the fourth often twice as 

 broad as long ; 5 to 7 superciliaries, suture between the first and 

 second oblique ; a series of 6 to 10 rather large granules between the 

 supraoculars and the superciliaries, from the first to the fourth supra- 

 ocular, rarely incomplete and reduced to 5. Two superposed post- 

 nasals, the upper on the upper surface of the snout ; anterior loreal 

 much shorter than second ; 5 or 6, rarely 7J upper labials anterior to 

 the subocular, the lower border of which is much shorter than the 

 upper. Lower eyelid with a transparent disc. Temple covered with 

 small granular scales, only the upper, bordering the parietal, being 

 more or less enlarged ; a well-developed tympanic shield. 



No pterygoid teeth. 



Grular scales granular, larger towards the collar, 28 to 36 between 

 the symphysis of the chin-shields and the median collar-plate ; a more 

 or less distinct gular fold. Collar straight-edged, with 7 to 10,. 

 exceptionally 5, 6, or 12 plates, which on the sides merge gradually 

 into the granules on the sides of the neck.§ 



Scales on body very small and granular, smooth or faintly keeled, 

 60 to 66 in a transverse series, 37 to 60 transverse series, in the middle 

 of the back, corresponding to the length of the head, 3, or 3 or 4, on 

 the sides corresponding to a ventral plate. Yentral plates with 

 rectilinear borders, in 10, rarely 12, longitudinal series, equal, or those 

 of the second series from the median line a little broader, the outer 

 series often bordered by an incomplete series of smaller plates ; 29 to 

 32 transverse series in males, 31 to 36 in females. Preanal plate 

 moderately large or rather small, bordered by two semicircles of 

 smaller plates, the inner formed of 5, 6, or 7. 



Scales on upper surface of tibia smooth, as large as or a little smaller 



* Narrower and longer in the young. 



f In two specimens (Lataste Collection) the interparietal and occipital are- 

 fused. 



t 6 on both sides in 7 specimens, on one side in 5 ; 7 on one side in a specimen 

 from Oran in the Paris Museum. 



§ The counting of the collar-plates is therefore dilRcult and often somewhat 

 arbitrary. 



