PLATYSAURUS CAPENSIS. 
nostril situated towards its middle ; frenal plates two, the anterior one 
small and irregularly shaped. Naso-rostral plate large and diamond shaped.* 
Frontal plate single, oblong, and four sided, the anterior considerably longer 
than the posterior side; fronto-parietal plates four, two anterior and two 
posterior, the latter with the parietal plates forming a distinct square shield 
which laterally is edged on each side with two narrow plates ; the hinder and 
inner angles of posterior fronto-parietal and anterior and inner angles of 
parietal plates are kept apart by the intervention of a small diamond shaped 
plate. Palpebral plates four, externally edged with a row of narrow plates 
which form the edge of the eyebrow. Temples convex and coated with plates, 
which anteriorly and inferiorly are surrounded with small scales. Body 
and sides covered with very small scales, which along the middle of 
the back are many sided and very closely set, elsewhere they are less 
closely set and rather ovate. Anterior and outer surface of fore legs 
covered with rather large six sided scales, hinder and inner portions with 
small multiangular scales. The last joint covered with rather large and 
irregularly five or six sided scales. Outer, posterior, and inner surface of 
hinder legs towards body covered with small subovate scales, and their 
anterior surface with quadrangular ones. Toes long and slender, nails short, 
very crooked, and sharp pointed. Femoral pores small and eighteen in 
number. Space between rami of lower jaw coated with lengthened narrow 
scales arranged in longitudinal rows, those of the row along the mesial line 
largest. Scales of under surface of neck small, and transversely subovate 
Gular collar rudimentary, the scales composing it very small ; abdominal 
plates quadrangular and disposed in transverse rows, about twenty plates in 
each ; preanal plates many sided, eight in the last row, the two middle of 
which are the largest. Tail towards base, above, flat, beneath two sided, 
elsewhere subcylindrical, its scales narrow, quadrangular, lengthened and 
arranged in whorls. Meatus audilorius externus large, subovate, opening 
obliquely outwards and backwards. Tongue solid and obtusely pointed ; its 
upper surface villous and its edges towards point, thin and sharp. Length 
from nose to base of tail, 3 inches ; length of tail, 4 inches, 8 lines. 
Inhabits Great Namaqualand, and is always found on rocky precipices. When pursued, it 
seeks concealment under flat stones or in the crevices which intervene between the rocky 
masses, and, from its claws being much hooked, it is not without difficulty removed from the 
chinks into which it may have retreated. It lives upon small insects. 
* In the figures there appears a small scale before and another behind the naso-iostral plate, but these, 
however, are to be viewed only as small portions of the plate accidently separated. 
