326 



PEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



The head is narrow and high; the Midth equal to the distance from 

 snout to beginning of large occipital, or three- fifths the length of lower 

 jaw. The snout is rather pointed. The occipital is margined behind 

 by three or four irregular series of small plates, larger than those on 

 the nape. There are two lateral occipitals, which are displaced by a 

 linear extension from the occipital in contact with the first vertical. 

 The order of succession of cephalic plates, beginning with the first ver- 

 tical, is 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6, and ten large internasals besides the ten behind 

 each nasal. The nasal [)late is free, as in Uta ornata, the rim projecting 

 beyond the encircling plates. The nostrils are oval, and longitudinal, 

 instead of oblique. There are two rows of very small plates on the 

 inner margin of the supraorbital region, as in other Utas, one sometimes 

 wanting aiiit'ri)r]y. There are three series of large transverse plates, 



Fig. 46. 

 TJta oraciosa Haixowkll. 



X 2.5. » 



Southern California. 



Cat. No. 8665, U.S.N. M. 



diminishing successively in width and length from the innermost, which 

 is largest. Exterior to all is another smaller series within the angular 

 imbricated plates on the extreme edge. 



The neck is comparativel}' smooth, with but few folds. There is little 

 or no indication of any constriction anterior to the fold on the lower 

 part of the throat, and the lateral pit is very faintly indicated. The 

 large carinated rhomboid al scales on the back are in about six series 

 of nearly uniform width, and without any conspicuously smaller ones 

 interspersed either irregularly or along the central line of the back. 

 The scales on either side of this central series (occupying about half 

 the width of the head) are abruptly much smaller, but show an occa- 

 sional larger scale along the crest of the lateral folds of skin (separated 

 by about the width of the head). The legs are rather long, though the 



