F o rm , &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 externally,
and nearly in contact internally. Frontal plate five sided, broadest anteriorly,
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 posteriorly
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 granular. 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 3J 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.
EUPREPES OLIVIERII.—D um . e t B i b .
R e p t il ia .— P l a t e X X X I .S F ig s. 3, 4, & 5.
E. supeme flavo-brunneus aut rubro-brunneus, dorso, caudaque ad basin fasciis tnbus longitudinahbus
subflavis, ordmibusque quatubr macnlamm nigro-brunnearum variegatis; latenbus interne lineo
longitudinal! albo snbtus nigro-brnnneo marginato, notatis; squamis tncarmatis.
Iiongitodo e nasi apice ad basin caudae 2 unc. 4 lin.; oaudse 4 unc.
Euprepes Olivierii, Dum.JlBib. Erpet. General, tom. v. p. 674.
Seinous vittatus, And. Descript, de TEgypt, Hist. Nat., tom. i. pi. 2. Snppl. fig. S.
C o l o u r .— 1The upper surface of the head, the back, and the tail, superiorly
pale orange coloured brown, or deep reddish brown; the back, and in some
individuals the base of the tail, variegated with three pale buff-orange bands,
and four series of umber-brown or liver-brown spots. One of the bands
extends along the middle of the back; the other two, one on each side,
immediately above the extremities, commence at or near the angle of the
mouth, and terminate on the sides of the tail, in some individuals close to its
base, in others considerably beyond it. The rows of spots, four m number,
edge the white bands, one row on each side of the central, and one on the
inner side of each lateral band; the spots are irregular in form, generally
lengthened in young specimens, somewhat square in adults; the two
rows of each side frequently coalesce, and form one irregular longitudinal
band On each side, immediately under the white band already mentioned,
is a broad liver-brown band, more or less broken by white, narrow, irregular
vertical lines, and below this another narrow white band, narrowly edged
inferiorly with liver-brown; these bands commence near the angle of
the mouth, and generally end at the hinder extremities. Spots similar in
colour to those of the back occur on the upper surface of the tail, particularly
towards its base, but as the individual advances m age they become less
,and less distinct, and at length often disappear altogether; in young specimens,
even, the number is never considerable.. The under parts of the