10 
SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 
annulatd, nunquam ad apicem nigra, subtus alhidus. Long, iota poll. 5 — 6, caudcB f totius 
longitudinis subcequante. 
1,2, south of Yarkand; 3-9, Yarkand; 10-16, Akrobat near Yarkand; 17-20, Kizil; 21-33, Yangibissar—all 
in Eastern Turkestan. 
Description. —General form depressed; head not so short as in P. theohaldi, P. olirieri, 
&c., and tail longer. In adnlts the fore limb falls short of the thigh, or barely reaches it; the 
hind hmh extends to the eye; the tail is one-third to one-half longer than the body with the 
head. The base of the tail is depressed and slightly dilated, thence the tail tapers gradually; 
it can he coiled upwards near the end. Toes rather long ; the fourth toe on the hind foot ’ 
exceeds the third by more than the length of the claw, and has both sides fringed; the outer 
edge of the third toe is also fringed; the fifth toe of the hind foot without the claw falls short 
of the point of union of the third and fourth toes. Claws yellowish, strong; the claw of the 
fifth toe on the hind foot longer than the rest. Nine to ten triangular teeth on each side in both 
jaws; six pointed anterior teeth in the upper jaw, four in the lower; the outer pair in each 
jaw elongate. The largest specimen measures 6*25 inches, of which the tail from the anus is 
3'75, head 0*75, fore limb to the end of the toes 1*4, hind limb 2*2. 
Scales of the head ahove convex, tubercular, not varying much in size, as a rule; each 
nostril in a larger scale, sometimes divided horizontally. Scales of the superciliary ridge 
larger; each eyelid with a fringe of about nine rather larger scales, the lower row pointed. 
Upper labials twenty-seven to thirty-one, with convex margins; rostral scarcely larger. Mental 
or lower rostral generally much larger than the lower labials, which are, as a rule, rather fewer 
in number than the upper labials. Scales near the lower labials rather larger than the remain¬ 
ing scales of the throat. Scales of the body about the same size above and below; all on the 
hack and belly are smooth, rhomhoidal, and arranged in transverse rows, those on the back 
subimbricate; on the sides they are smaller and more granular, especially behind the 
shoulder, where the red patch consists of small granular scales. I count from 95 to 103 
scales round the middle of the body in adults, rather fewer in young specimens. Scales 
on the limbs usually rather bluntly keeled above, smooth below; those beneath the feet 
sharply keeled, cross-plates beneath the toes with several keels. The pointed scales forming 
a fringe on the outer side of the fourth toe on the hind foot are longer than those on the 
inside of the same toe, or on the outside of the thud toe. On none of the other toes is there 
any distinct free margin. Tail scales all keeled, except at the extreme base; they are about 
the same size as the back scales, and are arranged in rings; the keels form longitudinal 
lines below the tail, but not above; at each side of the tail close to the base is a large patch 
of spinose scales. 
Colour above pale slaty-grey, nearly uniform or speckled with whitish, or, in young 
individuals especially, with three or four dark crossbands on the body. In some cases the 
back is tinged in parts with pale copper red. Dusky crossbands on the limbs and tail. In the 
middle of the tail, about 1*5 inch from the end, two or three dusky bands pass round the under 
surface; these are sometimes nearly black, at other times so faint as to be barely perceptible, 
but they are not entirely absent in any of the specimens collected; end of the tail never 
black. Lower parts white throughout, except the bands round the tail. Behind the axil, so 
as to be partly concealed by the fore limb when laid back along the body, there is a red patch 
at each side; this in the living animal is said by Dr. Stoliczka to be bordered by blue. The 
red colour has faded greatly in spirit, but can still be detected. 
