360 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



2940a) differs mainly iu having the cephalic plates of the first and third 

 series and the fourth and sixtli separated by second and tifth. The 

 upper parts show the four series of blotches above, about seven from 

 the collar to above anus. They are arranged in two series of rounded 

 blackish spots close together along the back, occui^ying a breadth of 

 some six scales; then an interval of two or three rows lighter than the 

 ground color; then a lateral series of rounded blotches, or two or three 

 rows. They are all (]uite obsolete, however. The black, interrupted 

 half collar on the hinder part of the neck is indicated above by an 

 obsolete, dusky band. The center only of the chin is blue, the space 

 covered by blackish green iu Cat. No. 2940a being here only greenish 

 white. The ventral blue patches are only indicated behind, very 

 slightly internally. The groin is much marked with blackish. 



A specimen of this vSpecies sent me from San Bernardino, California, 

 by my friend, Mr. J. S. Lippincott, has six brown cross-bands on the 

 body, and a vertical prehumeral brown band which nearly meets the 

 corresponding one on the other side. These bands are broadly yellow- 

 bordered posteriorly, and are continued with the yellow borders as 

 oblique bars on the sides to the belly. The individual is a female. 



This species is readily distinguished from >S'. torquatus and iHnnsetUi 

 by the large plates in the su])raocular region and other peculiarities 

 about the head. The dark dorsal bars, instead of being continuous, are 

 broken up into ibur blotches. The cervical collar is greatly interrui)ted 

 above. The blue patch on the belly is much closer, the blue of chin is 

 more restricted, and usually encircled by dusky greenish. 



Dr. Stejneger regards' the »9. maf/isfer of llallowell as a s]>ecies dis- 

 tinct from the /S'. clarkii. The only characters which he gives are the 

 longer preauricular scales of the former and the presence of dusky 

 cross-markings on the forearm and hand. He gives figures of the heads 

 of the two supposed species, but the differences there shown do not, 

 in my opinion, warrant the recognition of the ^S. magistcr as distinct. 

 According to Jouy, who observed the species in life, the two forms 

 are distinguishable by their colors, and they have different habitats, 

 the one being found only on high ground, and being shy and agile, and 

 the other living on low ground and climbing trees, and being sluggish 

 and fearless. Stejneger believes these forms to have different distribu- 

 tions; thus, the aS'. magistcr inhabits the deserts of southern California, 

 Nevada, and southwestern Utah, while the ^. elarJcii inhabits south- 

 eastern Arizona and an unknown distance into Mexico. Tliey occur 

 together near Tuscon, Arizona. These forms do not seem to me to be 

 worthy of distinction as subspecies. 



'North Americaa Fauna, No. 7, 1893, p. 178. 



