S A B R I N A T E S S E L L A T A. 107 



Descr. — The head is continuous with the body, very slightly 

 swollen upon its middle, the snout being prominently rounded and 

 protruding beyond the lower jaw. Its upper surface is depressed. 

 The rostral plate is the largest of the cephalic series, occupying the 

 convexity of the snout, and rather more expanded beneath than 

 above, though wider upon its middle. On each side of the rostral, 

 and extending likewise from the margin of the upper jaw to the 

 upper surface of the head, is to be observed a nasal plate, broadest 

 upon its middle, where a small nostril is situated, just upon the con- 

 vexity of the snout. The ocular plate starts from the very margin of 

 the upper jaw, spreading as it ascends, and, towards its anterior upper 

 edge, may be seen the eye, of rather large proportion. A narrow pre- 

 ocular extends from the margin of the jaw, between the nasal and 

 the oculai", meeting upwards with a similarly elongated, but little larger, 

 suroculary or oculo-frontal, as there is no other plate of that name. 

 A large postoculo-labial plate occupies the region extending from the 

 ocular plate to the angle of the mouth, where it is met by the scales 

 of the neck. Immediately above the postoculo-labial may be observed 

 a parietal and a postparietal, both very similar in size and shape. The 

 vertex region of the head is occupied by three subhexagonal scales, 

 being a direct continuation of the dorsal series. 



The mouth, seen from beneath, constitutes a semi-elliptical curve. 

 The inferior labials are very similar to the adjoining submaxillary 

 scales, which, in their turn, are but a trifle smaller than the abdo- 

 minal ones. The teeth are exceedingly small and exiguous. 



The body, about four inches in total length, is subcylindrical in 

 shape, almost of the same thickness from head to tail, which is 

 slightly tapering and conical at the apex. Fifteen longitudinal rows 

 of scales may be counted as surrounding the body. The scales them- 

 selves are proportionally well developed, imbricated, subhexagonal in 

 general appearance, and a little smaller under the belly than over the 

 back. The tail, about twice the length of the head, is surrounded by 

 scales of the same appearance and structure as those of the body. 

 There is a large, semicircular, preanal scutella. 



The centre of each scale being either chestnut or blackish-brown, 

 while their margin is of a light-yellow or straw color, the body 

 assumes the appearance of being streaked with dark and light stripes, 

 particularly when, the dark spots unite anteriorly and posteriorly with 

 their fellow, which is sometimes the case along the upper region of 



