45 



classical description. The following scheme [-will give an 

 idea of the way in which the description should be arranged. 



Date Place 



Length ; tail . Sex — 



Scales rows ; smooth, keeled, or with apical grooves ; 



imbricate ? rounded, oval, linear, rhombic or rhomboidal ; 

 vertebrals enlarged ? at what distance in tenths of length 

 the number diminishes. 



Ventrals, number ; broad or narrow (in proportion to the 

 circumference) ; keeled ? turned up at the sides ? Anal, 

 single or bifid. Subcaudals, number ; single or double. 



Head, distinct from neck? high, flat, broad, narrow; 

 snout acute, obtuse; eye large, small, moderate; pupil 

 round, erect, horizontal ; iris, colour. 



Head shields, normal ? note peculiarities of crown shields ; 

 loreal present, absent, single or multiple ; nasal single or 

 multiple, position of nostril. Preoculars, number, does the 

 upper one reach to the crown — to the vertical ? (Subocular), 

 Labials, number, how many enter the orbit, peculiarities ; 

 temporals, number, arrangement. Lower jaw — ^labials, 

 number, first pair not contiguous ? geneials, number of 

 pairs ; gular scales, number. 



Ground colour. 



Longitudinal pattern. Stripes or streaks, number, breadth, 

 position (vertebral, dorsal, lateral). Series of spots, of ring- 

 spots, size, margins, disposition. 



Transverse pattern. Cross-bars or cross-bands, sagittal, 

 fasciolated, quincuncial, decussating, ocellated, margined ; 

 series of rings (number). 



Interstitial colouring. 



