anteriorly; freno-nasal plates small. Plates of the upper lip, exclusive of
rostral, six, the third, under the eye, much the longest; plates of lower lip,
exclusive of mental, three, the first very small, the second much the longest.
Mental plate large; submental plates two pairs, the hinder pair the largest;
temporal plates four, disposed in two rows, the uppermost one of the hinder row
much the largest, and forms the upper and anterior margin of the ear-opening.
Nostrils small, circular, and formed by three plates, the first labial, the nasal,
and the freno-nasal. Eyes rather large; lower lid externally coated with
numerous small scales; the orbit, superiorly, margined with a row of narrow
small plates; two scales behind the eye, two above, and one in front, which
reaches to the frenal plate. Ear-opening moderately large, subcircular, and
situated directly behind and near to the angle of the mouth, and partially
concealed by the cuticular fold ; the space between the opening and the
angle of the mouth studded with small granular scales. Scales of body and
tail subquadrangular, rather narrowest behind, and arranged in transverse
rows; each scale has a strong keel along its centre, and finer ones on each
side, and the former are so arranged as to form several fine continuous ridges
along both the body and the tail; the rows of scales anteriorly are 12, posteriorly
14; the scales towards the belly are but faintly keeled. Abdomen
with six rows of smooth quadrangular plates, the cuticular fold externally
covered by the outermost row of each side. The scales of the under surface
of the tail are like those of the upper, with the exception that they have no
fine keels on the sides of the central one. Extremities rudimentary, undivided,
and laid close to the body, the anterior ones about an inch behind
the external ear, immediately above the edge of the lateral fold, and are very
short, slender, somewhat cylindrical and pointed; the posterior ones are
rather larger, compressed, pointed, and externally covered with scales, and
each has two or three prominent pores on its hinder or inferior edge, towards
its base. Length from the nose to the anus, 2 inches 9 lines ; from anus to
point of tail, 9 inches 6 lines ; length of extremities, about a line and a half.
The drawing represents the natural size of an adult specimen.
Inhabits the eastern districts of the Cape Colony, and also the country towards Natal.
It is found in situations where grass abounds, and it progresses through the latter with great
rapidity, and after the manner of an ophidian reptile.
DELMA GRAYII.—Smith.
R e p t il ia .— P la te 7 6 .^ -F ig . 2.—2 a, b, & c.
D. supeme griseo-brunnea, subtus viridi-flava; corporis lateribus versus caput, lineis flavis verticalibus
notatis; palpebris spuriis, circularibus, flavis; extrenritatibus posterioribus spuriis parvis et com-
pressis.
Longitudo b nasi apice ad anum 8 unc. 9 lin.; caudse 9 unc.; extremitatum posteriorum 1 \ lin.
Colour.—The upper surface of the head, the back, and the sides, hair-
brown ; the sides towards the head vertically barred with narrow stripes of
lemon-yellow. The lower lip and the under parts of the head and body,
greenish white. The under surface of the tail, wine-yellow. A narrow line
round the eye, lemon-yellow.
F orm, &c.—Head, subquadrate, the hind-head rather wider than the neck.
The body and tail slender, subcylindrical, and slightly flattened beneath;
the body rather thickest at the head; the tail tapered gradually from the base,
and at the extremity very slender and pointed. The nose is narrow and
rounded. Rostral plate sub triangular, its apex rounded ; nasal plates narrow,
subquadrangular, and internally contiguous; naso-rostral plates narrow and
quadrangular, their inner extremities in contact; fronto-nasal plates rather
large, quadrangular, the inner sides in contact, the hinder side shortest.
Frontal plate large and five-sided, the anterior side slightly projecting between
the fronto-nasal plates; palpebral plates two ; parietal plate single, sevensided,
and pointed behind. Occipital plates two, subovate, and narrowest
behind, the outer edge irregular, the inner, which is in contact with its fellow,
nearly straight. Nostril small, and formed by the nasal, freno-nasal, and
anterior labial plates; frenal and preocular plates wanting, the place of the
latter occupied by a number of small scales. Plates of upper lip six, exclusive
of the rostral plate ; of lower lip four, exclusive of the mental plate, the first
prolonged inwards, and in contact with its fellow of the opposite side. Eyes
rather small; pupil circular; eyelids rudimentary, circular, and consist of a