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 s,et, 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 auditorius 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-rostral -plate, but these,
however, are to be viewed only as small portions of the plate accidently separated.