262 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



aucl imbricated and iiearlj^ equal. Tail conical, shorter tlian the body, 

 with very short whorls. Claws very thick and strong, anterior much 

 larger. Ears not concealed. Nostrils superolateral, in line with can- 

 thus rostralis. Tongue fleshy, with ten inferior terminal oval sessile 

 pads. Palatine teeth distinct. Palate scarcely scooped out between 

 j)Osterior nares, which are farther back than in Crotaphytus. Posterior 

 teeth (especially lower) with five lobes; anterior almost to very end of 

 jaw, with three. 



This genus is allied to Uta, and an approach to it is made by the JJta 

 thalassina Cope. 



The following description of the osteology of this genus is based on 

 a skeleton of the S. ater, belonging to the U. S. National Museum. 



The premaxilliary has a long spine above and a transverse posterior 

 border below with the anteriorly directed button process. The nasals 

 are well develoi^ed and distinct in spite of the large size of the nares. 

 Frontal entire, rather narrow, grooved on the middle line below, and 

 including pineal foramen, which touches the coronal suture. Parietals 

 divided, perhaps abnormally in specimen, Supraoccipital loosely 

 attached, but fused with exoccipitals. Prefrontals large, not extend- 

 ing over orbits; lachrymals small, in contact with jugal. Postfroutal 

 distinct, small. Apex of i)Ostorbital cartilaginous, inferior face in long 

 contact with jugal and supratemporal. Paroccipital not large; parie- 

 toquadrate arch well separated from exoccipital. Postoptic not reach- 

 ing frontal, superior extremity expanded backward and forward. 

 Petrosal very short above, prolonged below, inferior groove looking 

 laterally. Fenestra ovalis and foramen nervi octavi sunk in deep fosste. 

 Vomers entirely separated from maxillaries, not produced, but sepa- 

 rated by a groove behind. Palatines with a short maxillary process. 

 Palatine foramen moderate; pterygoids divaricating from each other 

 outward. Ectopterygoid produced downward at the posterointernal 

 angle. Pterygoids grooved from basipterygoids backward on internal 

 side. Quadrate with two conchs, the internal one flat. The epistape- 

 dial cartilage is largely ossified. 



Presphenoid a slender rod; sphenoid and basioccipital confluent. 

 Occipital condyle with exoccipital elements slightly marked above. 



In the mandible Meckel's cartilage is completely inclosed. The 

 splenial is produced biit little beyond the splenial foramen. Coronoid 

 extended a little anteriorly at base on external face of ramus, and a 

 little farther on the inner side. Dentary extending as far back as 

 coronoid. Articular and surangular distinct. 



The premaxillary and anterior maxillary teeth are simple; the other 

 maxillaries have two or three denticles anteriorly and one posteriorly. 

 In the dentary bone the teeth (except in front) have two denticles on 

 each edge. 



The hyoid apparatus displays a pair of parallel but separate second 

 ceratobrauchials about half as long as the first ceratobranchials. Cera- 



