1870.] Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. 189 



head and touching the vertical, the lower small, being strictly speak- 

 ing only a detached portion of the third upper labial ; postoculars 

 two on the left side, upper larger than the lower (this appearing to be 

 the normal state), three on the right one, the upper posterior edge 

 of the sixth (or fifth) upper labial being detached from the rest ; 9 

 upper labials, of which the fifth and sixth on either side enter the 

 orbit, but it seems as if the third and fourth small shields should 

 form together one, the third upper labial. Scales of the tail 

 broadly hexagonal ; ventrals 211; anal large, bifid ; subcau- 

 dals 119. The first pair of lower labials forms a suture ; two pairs 

 of chin shields, the hinder slightly longer and moderately diverg- 

 ing. 



Above, head brownish, with some dark markings on the occi- 

 pitals ; the rest of the body olive grey, with numerous short, 

 rather broad blackish transverse bands, interrupted on the sides 

 and alternating with lateral spots ; all the dark markings disappear 

 on the posterior two-fifths of the total length ; pre- and post-oculars 

 yellowish, a small dark, somewhat oblique spot below the eye. 

 Below, uniform whitish throughout, with a slight dusky tinge ; most 

 of the ventrals have a small black spot at the base, at least as 

 far as the upper black markings extend. 



The form and general distribution of the largish shields of the 

 head, the depressed, flattened head, numerous rows of scales, and 

 the peculiar coloration of young specimens, all indicate the generic 

 identity of the present species with Compsosoma, as has been sug- 

 gested to me by Dr. Jerdon, after he had examined B 1 y t h's 

 original specimen, though this is not so perfect as the one here 

 described. 



46. Compsosoma JTodysoni, Griinther, (1. cit. p. 246). 



Three specimens of this species were obtained by my collector in 

 the lower hills to the south of Simla. In all of them the scales 

 are elongantly hexagonal, but become considerably broader on the 

 posterior part of the body. 



a — Full grown; 63^ inches, of which the tail measures 13£ 

 inches ; ventrals 238, subcaudals 90 ; scales of the back dis- 

 tinctly though not very prominently keeled, each with two 



J 



