OF THE GENUS FHILOCHORTUS. 



149 



Neck a little narrower than the head. Hind limb reaching the 

 ear-opening; foot H to 1 4 times as long as head; toes slender, 

 compressed. Tail 2 k to 2 J times as long as head and body. 



Nostril pierced between 3 shields; nasals forming a suture 

 behind the rostral, the suture | to | the length of the fronto- 

 nasal, which is much broader than long and broader than the 

 internarial space ; prefrontals forming a short median suture ; 

 frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, nearly 

 twice as long as broad, angular in front, much narrower behind, 

 feebly grooved; parietals 1| times as long as broad, meeting on 

 the median line between the narrow or very small interparietal 

 and the small triangular occipital. 4 supraoculars, first small, 

 divided into two and in contact with the frontal, second and 

 third large and subequal, fourth smali and sometimes divided 

 into two ; 5 or 6 superciliaries, separated from the supraoculars 

 by a series of granules. Lower eyelid transparent in the middle, 

 with feebly enlarged scales, some of which are deeper than the 

 others. Rostral not entering the nostril ; a single postnasal ; 

 anterior loreal shorter than second; 4 upper labials anterior to 

 the subocular, which is a little narrower beneath than above. 

 A long narrow upper temporal, in contact with the fourth 

 supraocular, followed by two small shields ; upper temporal 

 scales small and granular, lower large ; a distinct tympanic 

 shield. 



4 pairs of chin-shields, first three in contact in the middle ; 

 21 gular scales in a straight median line, granular in front, 

 gradually enlarged and imbricate towards the collar, which is 

 formed of 9 plates. 



Scales flat, granular on the nape, subimbricate and smooth or 

 faintly keeled on the body, with the two series on the spine much 

 enlarged and plate-like, hexagonal, and twice as broad as long; 

 28 or 30 plates and scales across the middle of the body. Ventral 

 plates in 6 longitudinal and 26 transverse series, the border of the 

 transverse series notched between the plates, the median pair of 

 which is narrower than the others. Two enlarged prseanal plates, 

 one in front of the other, with smaller plates anteriorly and 

 laterally. 



13 femoral pores on each side. 27 to 30 lamellar scales under 

 the fourth toe. 



Caudal scales forming alternately somewhat longer and shorter 

 whorls, upper oblique, rather strongly keeled, obtusely pointed 

 behind ; 20 scales in the fourth or fifth whorl. 



Young dark brown above, with 5 yellowish longitudinal streaks, 

 the median bifurcating on the nape, each branch extending to 

 the middle of the posterior border of the parietal shield ; the 

 lateral streaks occupying the same position as in P. spinalis. 

 Adult grey above, with 3 lemon-yellow longitudinal streaks, the 

 median forked on the nape, and with crowded black dots forming 

 a band from the temple to above the hind limb : limbs speckled 

 with black. Lower parts white. Tail red in the young. 



