226 OPHIDIA. 



top ; there is one very large pre-ocular plate, two post- 

 ocular, no siibocular, eight labial plates on the upper lip, 

 ten on the lower ; temples covered with scales ; the dorsal 

 scales are smooth, hollowed in the middle, lanceolate, 

 those on the flanks much larger, sub triangular, forming in 

 all nineteen longitudinal rows ; ventral plates, 168 to 182 ; 

 subcaudal, seventy-five to ninety pairs ; the head and upper 

 parts of the body are olive, with a red-brown tinge ; each 

 plate of the head is edged by a narrow dusky brown line, 

 over each eye is a small round spot of the same colour; 

 down the back are numerous oblong irregular black spots ; 

 along the side run two parallel black streaks, the lower of 

 which appears as if interrupted, from the circumstance of 

 the scales on which it runs being of a lighter hue at 

 their centres than at their extremities ; the upper lateral 

 streak is wider, and is really interrupted, passing over, as 

 it were, two or three scales in succession ; it occupies the 

 fourth row, counting from the margin of the ventral 

 plates ; many of the dorsal scales have very narrow brown 

 edges and black tips ; the belly is dull yellow, along it 

 run six or eight dark parallel streaks, not well-defined, 

 but sufficiently so to give the surface a ruled appearance ; 

 the under part of the tail is ashy, marbled with lighter 

 tints, and sprinkled with dusky specks ; the colours of the 

 species are very bright for a short time subsequent to the 

 change of skin, the back being a fine green colour, with 

 jet-black spots ; the sides azure ; the belly clear yellow 1 , 

 with black or bright blue marks. 



The variety described by Buonaparte as C. Neumayeri, 

 is uniform dusky olive on the upper parts of the head and 

 body ; the stripes along the sides of the back are wanting, 

 but the scales on those parts have a streaked appearance, 

 resulting from their margins being of a much lighter tint 

 than the centres ; the scales in general are each dusky at 



