SPHENOMORPHUS 



171 



ture behind interparietal, which is similar in shape but much 

 smaller than frontal ; no nuchals ; four supraoculars ; five on left 

 side; nasal moderate, single, nostril pierced near its center; 

 no supranasals; two anterior frenals, superimposed, the lower 

 in contact with first and second labials ; second f renal separated 

 from labials by the large inferior preocular, superior preocular 

 small; ten or eleven superciliaries ; two rows of small scales 

 separating labials from orbit; seven upper labials, third larger 

 than fourth; two enlarged anterior temporals, the largest bor- 

 dering parietal; mental broader than rostral followed by a 

 single large postmental which is in contact laterally with two 

 lower labials; three pairs of chin shields, first pair in contact, 

 second wider than first pair ; forty rows of scales around body, 

 those on back and belly much larger than lateral scales; three 

 enlarged preanal scales; anus some distance behind insertion 



Fig. 18. Sphenomor2)hus curtirostris Taylor, from the type : 



lateral view ; c, chin ; X 3. 



head, dorsal view ; b, head, 



of hind legs; legs well developed; adpressed hind leg reaches 

 beyond wrist of adpressed foreleg; length of hind leg about 

 equal to distance from snout to foreleg ; fourteen or fifteen smooth 

 lamellae below fourth toe, slightly compressed but not distinctly 

 keeled; tail tapering distinctly, compressed laterally. 



Color in life. — Above, body variegated yellowish brown with 

 a median row of quadrangular chocolate spots separated by 

 equal areas of light yellow-brown; two or three very narrow, 

 dim, brownish lines on either side of the median spots ; laterally 

 a broad band of chocolate brown from snout to hind limb, wider 

 on neck and sides, more or less dovetailed with the lighter spots 

 above; tail rather lighter in color, mottled with darker brown; 

 legs slightly lighter above with brown stripes on their outer 

 aspect ; toes and fingers barred with brown ; below yellowish 

 white, with small brownish spots on throat ; very numerous spots 

 on undersurface of tail. 



