OF THE GENUS PHILOCHORTUS. 



153 



nostril ; a single postnasal ; anterior loreal shorter than the 

 second ; 5, rarely 4 *, upper labials anterior to the subocular, 

 which is narrower beneath than above. A long narrow upper 

 temporal, usually in contact with the fourth supraocular, usually 

 followed by one or two small shields ; temporal scales very small 

 and granular above, much larger beneath ; a curved tympanic 

 shield. 



4 pairs of chin -shields, sometimes followed by a small fifth, 

 first three in contact in the middle ; 21 to 28 gular scales in a 

 straight line in the middle, granular in front, gradually or 

 abruptly enlarged and imbricate towards the collar ; no gular 

 fold. Collar with strongly serrated edge, composed of 7 to 10 

 (exceptionally 4) plates. 



Scales granular and smooth on the nape, rhombic and keeled 

 on the body ; 2 or 4 series of hexagonal plates along the back, 

 more or less strongly keeled, rarely faintly keeled ; 33 to 40 

 plates and scales across the middle of the body ; 12 to 18 large 

 keeled scales in a transverse series between the hind limbs. 

 Ventral plates in 6 longitudinal and 27 to 32 transverse series 

 (27 to 30 in males, 30 to 32 in females), the border of the trans- 

 verse series feebly notched between the plates, the median pair of 

 which is narrower than the others. Prreanal plates small and 

 irregular, or two or three enlarged ones in the middle, in a series 

 or three forming a triangle. 



12 to 18 femoral pores on each side. 24 to 30 lamellar scales 

 under the fourth toe. 



Caudal scales in alternately somewhat longer and shorter 

 whorls, upper oblique, strongly and diagonally keeled, rounded 

 or obtusely pointed behind, lower keeled ; 24 to 28 scales in the 

 fourth or fifth whorl behind the postanal granules. 



Young black on the upper surface of the body, with 6 yellow 

 streaks, the median pair diverging towards the occiput, to em- 

 brace an additional pair of short streaks, or each streak bifurcating 

 just before reaching the occiput; the upper lateral streak ex- 

 tends from behind the eye to the base of the tail, passing above 

 the tympanum, the lower from the upper lip, through the tym- 

 panum and above the fore limb, to the thigh ; head and upper 

 surface of fore limbs brown, hind limbs and tail coral-red, throat 

 and belly white. 



These markings may persist more or less distinctly in the adult, 

 which vary much in colour; the blackish bands between the light 

 streaks may be much spotted with whitish, or broken up into 

 spots, or the upper parts may be grey, brown, or reddish with 

 7 blackish longitudinal streaks (9 behind the occiput) or merely 

 with two series of blackish spots on each side. Tail often reddish 

 towards the end. 



* 4 in two specimens only. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1917, No. XI. 



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