222 BULLETIN 17 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



mucronate; the laterals about two-thirds as large as the dorsals, be- 

 coming smoother and more rounded toward the lower portions of the 

 sides; ventrals approximately as large as the dorsals, smooth, their 

 posterior edges slightly denticulate; about fifty scales around the 

 middle of the body; about fifty-eight scales from the occiput to a 

 point directly above the vent, sixteen dorsal scales the equivalent of 

 the distance from snout to occiput; nuchal scales small, those on the 

 sides of the neck like the dorsals, those behind the ear keeled and 

 imbricate, not granular. Shoulder folds present; no lateral folds. 

 The adpressed hind limb reaches half way between the ear and the eye. 

 Digits compressed; the fourth toe with 26 tricarinate lamellae. A 

 feeble crest along the back and tail base; tail compressed; scales on 

 the under surface of the tail about as large as the dorsals; postanal 

 scales slightly enlarged. 



"Dorsal surface of the head and body (in alcohol) cinnamon- 

 brown faintly tinged with metallic green and spotted with yellow 

 or gray; the spots on the dorsal surface of the head nearly as large 

 as the scales, while those on the back are much smaller and those on 

 the posterior surfaces barely distinct; sides of the head, neck and 

 body as well as the whole throat a blue-gray; sides of the head, throat 

 and chest spotted with wliite; sides of the body with several vertical 

 rows of pale blue spots; the spots tend to run together on the side 

 of the head where they form two vertical bars across the jaws and 

 eyelids and on the chest where they form a broken crossbar. Under 

 surface of the legs and middle of the abdomen straw-color. 



"Dimensions. — Snout to vent, 60 mm.; head to posterior edge of 

 ear, 15.5 mm.; tail (regenerated), 38 mm.; foreleg, 24 mm.; hind- 

 leg, 44 mm.; width of head, 11.5 mm. 



"Variation.— The twenty-two paratypes (A.M.N.H. Nos. 51051-4, 

 51056-73) show little variation. The feeble spotting of the dorsal 

 surface of the body is often inconspicuous but the head is always 

 distinctly spotted both above and below. In the female a series of 

 transverse bars or widely opened V's of dark brown are frequently 

 found on the back; the throat is always much paler gray than the 

 male's but the white spots may be more numerous and smaller. 

 The tail of the type is regenerated and does not show the crest which 

 in the unregenerated tail is better developed than along the middle 

 of the back. 



"In life, the yellowish-brown dorsal color was overlaid with a 

 golden-bronze sheen. The head was slightly darker, almost every 

 scale being edged with dark brown while the sides of the head were 

 darker still. Usually there was no distinct pattern on the back. 

 One adult male, just before shedding, showed faint cross-lines on the 

 back but these were less distinct after shedding. The dorsal surface 

 of the legs was darker than that of the body and showed light spots 



