riorly, edged with minute granular scales ; freno-nasal plate small, quadrangular
; freno-ocular quadrangular, much broader behind than before; ante-
ocular plates small and compressed ; labial plates, anterior to large infraorbital
plate, four, behind it three, horizontally compressed and projecting;
plates of lower jaw, exclusive of chin plate, five or six (Vide Plate XLVIII.
figs. 13, 13 a, and 13 b). Ear-opening vertically subovate, and the membrana
tympani visible, being immediately within the orifice. Scales of the back
and sides small, ovate, disposed in more or less regular transverse rows, each
row slightly removed from the other; scales of the under surface of the neck,
anteriorly, small and subquadrangular, posteriorly, rhomboidal and in both
situations imbricate; antepectoral fold very narrow, and formed of twelve
small irregular plates; pectoral and ventral plates quadrangular, and arranged
in transverse rows, twelve in the most lengthened of the ventral rows ; pre-
anal plates rather numerous in four transverse rows. Femoral pores eleven
or twelve; Scales of the tail, superiorly, carinated, interiorly, quadrangular
and smooth. Forelegs, when directed forwards along the sides of the neck,
have the longest toe of the foot extending slightly in advance of the eye;
hinder legs, when directed along the sides, have the longest toe reaching to
the ear-opening.
Length from nose to anus 2 inches; of tail 4>\ inches.
Found on dry flats in the interior of Southern Africa. In several respects this species resembles
Eremias pardalis, but is at once to be distinguished from it by its having fourteen or
more pre-anal plates, whilst E. pardalis has only three.
R e p t il ia .— P l a t e XLVII. F i g . 3.
E. superne flavo-brunnea fasciis quatnor longitudinalibus variegatis, quarnm duabus mgro-brunneis, duabus
paffide flavis; corporis latcribus itavo-biimneis nigro-brunneo umbratis et annulis nigro-brunneis
maculisque subflavis notatis; dorsi squamis parvis, subrhomboidalibua, imbricatis; palpebra inferiore
pellucid^; caud& inferne versus apicem hicarinata.
LongITudo e nasi apice ad anum 1 unc. 9 lin.; caudae 3 unc.
C o l o u k .—The upper surface of the head and the middle of the back intermediate
between yellowish brown and buff-orange, which colour is bounded
on each side by two longitudinal bands extending between the hindhead and
the base of the tail, the outer band narrow, of a light straw-yellow colour and in
some specimens interrupted, the inner band considerably wider, continuous,
and of a deep liver-brown hue. Sides of the body dull yellowish brown,
freckled with liver-brown, and variegated with a few dark liver-brown rings
surrounding light straw-yellow spots. Legs, anteriorly and superiorly, yello
w ish brown, tinged with purple, and variegated with a few small oblong
straw-yellow and liver-brown spots. Tail, superiorly, the same colour as the
legs, and variegated for some distance from its base, on each side, with a
row of small, quadrangular, straw-yellow Spots, all of which, but more especially
those nearest to the back, margined more or less with liver-brown.
The under parts of the head, body, tail, and extremities, dull bluish white.
F orm, &c.—Body rather robust; tail long and tapered to a fine point;
head rather short, broad posteriorly, rather narrow and tapered anterior to
the eyes ; nose slightly rounded ; sides of head before the eyes perpendicular,
behind them rather convex. Nasal plates contiguous; naso-rostral plate
large and subrhomboidal, anteriorly, nearly truncated; fronto-nasal plates
contiguous, six-sided, the anterior and outer side very short; frontal plate
lengthened, five-sided, widest anteriorly, and in front terminates in an obtuse
angle; fronto-parietals contiguous ; occipital four-sided, the posterior
side more lengthened than the anterior and slightly arched ; palpebral plates
somewhat pyriform, and surrounded externally, anteriorly, and posteriorly,