EUPREPES SMITHII. 
Form, &c. — Figure rather slender. Head and body slightly depressed and 
subquadrangular ; tail, at the base, depressed, elsewhere cylindrical and 
tapered, the apex slender and pointed. The head, posteriorly, nearly as 
broad as the neck ; anteriorly, tapered to the nose, which is blunt and rounded. 
Rostral plate subtriangular, its apex, which is between the supra-nasal plates, 
acute ; the latter plates somewhat triangular, broadest anteriorly, and in 
contact at the apex of the rostral plate. Naso-rostral plate large, rhomboidal ; 
fronto-nasal plates rather small, subquadrangular, somewhat rounded exter- 
nally, and nearly in contact internally. Frontal plate five sided, broadest ante- 
riorly, its hinder extremity rounded ; fronto-parietal plates somewhat five sided. 
Parietal plates large, four sided, the hindermost side much the largest; 
parietal plate somewhat quadrangular, anteriorly broad and subangular, 
posteriorly narrow and almost pointed. Palpebral plates four, the second, 
reckoning from before backwards, the largest ; a line of four narrow plates 
between eyelid and palpebral plates. Two long narrow plates behind 
parietal plates. Freno-nasal plate small ; frenal plates two, the hindermost 
largest. Labial plates, of upper lip, six, of lower, seven ; submental plates, 
five, the one immediately behind the mental plate large and ovate ; the 
others, two on each side, more or less irregularly shaped. Scales of body 
and tail six sided, externally and internally pointed, anteriorly and pos- 
teriorly truncated ; the scales of the back, outer surface of extremities, and 
upper surface of tail, each, with three strong longitudinal keels : those of the 
sides, inner surface of extremities, and under surfaces, smooth. Extremities 
slender ; the third and fourth toes of the fore feet nearly of equal length, and 
longest, the fourth toe of hinder foot much the longest ; under surface of 
feet granulax 1 . Nostril situated in the hinder portion of the nasal plate ; eyes 
small, eyelids granular externally, the lower with an oval semi-transparent 
disc. External ear opening ovate, its anterior margin with two projecting 
scales, which extend nearly across the opening. Pre-anal scales differ 
but little in shape from those of the abdomen. Length of an adult specimen, 
from nose to base of tail 2j inches, of tail inches. 
Inhabits arid districts to the north-east of the Cape Colony, and numerous individuals 
are often observed in the same locality. They seek concealment under rocks and stones 
which generally abound in the places to which they resort. 
