MABUYA 



157 



very small, the parietals forming a suture behind it; parietals 

 small, transversely elongate, more than twice as broad as long, 

 followed by a single pair of nuchals; four supraoculars, second 

 widest and longest; nasal elongate, nostril pierced near its cen- 

 ter; no postnasal; two frenals; first higher than second, second 

 longer than first ; two preoculars between fourth labial and first 

 superciliary; five superciliaries ; lower preocular followed by a 

 small scale above fifth labial; lower eyelid scaly; temporals not 

 or but slightly enlarged; eight upper labials, that below eye 

 large, entering orbit broadly ; ear opening moderate with minute 

 anterior lobules ; mental larger than rostral ; a large postmental 

 touching two lower labials; seven lower labials; two pairs of 

 chin shields, only first pair in contact; scales on head slightly 

 rugose or striated; twenty-eight scale rows around body, all 

 save ten ventral rows strongly quinquecarinate or septemcari- 



FlG. 13, Mabuya muUicarinata (Gray); a, head, dorsal view; b, head, lateral view; c, 



chin ; X 2. 



nate, some of the scales on neck even novemcarinate ; scales above 

 and below tail somewhat broadened transversely ; limbs well de- 

 veloped; the anterior brought forward reaches nostril; hind leg 

 brought forward barely reaches axilla ; digits strong, fourth fin- 

 ger slightly longer than third ; fourth toe much longer than third 

 with twenty-six smooth lamellae below ; anus bordered anteriorly 

 by four slightly enlarged scales; ear nearer foreleg than end of 

 snout. 



Color in life. — Above brilliant, iridescent olive green with ir- 

 regular series of dark spots dorsally; head and neck rather 

 brownish; a broad, brown, lateral stripe from eye to hind leg 

 with indications of darker and lighter markings; below this 

 stripe olive greenish with a few whitish ocelli ; below, belly bluish 

 green; tail marked like back with darker and lighter spots; la- 

 bials cream with darker sutures; chin creamy white; palms 

 yellowish; lamellae of digits black. 



