CROCODILTANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 3^3 



valleys, in Pahrauajiat Mountains and Valley, at the Great IJcnil in tlie Colorado 

 River, and in tho valley of the Yirt^in. 



In Arizona it was abnndant at tho point where Beaverdam Creek joins the Virgin. 



In Utah it was common in the lower Santa Clara or St. George Valley. 



Sceloimrus darkil {ma<jister) is a mixed feeder, both insects and flowers being found 

 in the stomach examined. At the Great Bend of the Colorado, Nevada, and at St. 

 George, Utah, stomachs were opened that contained insects only. One from the 

 latter locality contained a large goldsmith beetle. 



Mr. J. Van Denburgh describes some Scelopori from Lower California 

 as a distinct species under the name of *S'. licldi. The figures lie gives 

 represent a smaller form than the true S. elarlcii, and one that is differ- 

 ently colored. Study of both the plates and description however fails 

 to reveal any other character by which it differs from that species. I 

 therefore for the present regard it as a local race. I append Mr. Van 

 Denburgh's description : 



The head is considerably depressed, with rounded snout. There are two scales on 

 the canthus rostralis. The nostrils are large, almost superior, and nearer to the end 

 of the snout than to the orbit. The ear opening is very large, almost vertical, and 

 with a strong anterior denticulation of six pointed scales. The head shields are 

 smooth and somewhat convex. The supraoculars are very broad. The superciliaries 

 are very long, narrow, and strongly imbricate. There are two series of small, and 

 one of large, sublabial plates, bordered below by the large,imbricate, bicuspid gulars. 

 There is a strong fold on each side of the neck. The dorsal scales are slightly 

 smaller than the caudals, strojigly keeled, very strongly mucronate, and with serrate 

 edges. The lateral scales are similar to, but smaller than the dorsals, arranged in 

 oblique series, and graduating into the dorsals and ventrals. The veutrals are much 

 smaller than the dorsals, smooth, and bi- or tri-cuspid. The caudals are very strongly 

 keeled and mucronate. The posterior surface of the thigh is covered with large, 

 pointed, keeled scales. There are fifteen femoral pores. Male, with enlarged post- 

 anal plates. There are thirty-three dorsal scales between the intei'parietal plate 

 and tho base of tho tail. 



The back and sides are olive brown, many of the scales having central markings 

 of deep blue or green. A narrow lino of verdigris green runs along each side from 

 the eye to the base of the tail. IJelow this, a narrower similarly colored line runs 

 from the ear to a point a short distance above and behind the axilla. A patch in 

 front of the shoulder, the central part of tiie belly, and the autorior and lower sur- 

 faces of the thigh are black, which color gradually fades into the cyanine blue of 

 the sides of the belly. The throat is olive gray with greenish-white lines which 

 converge to a point midway between the neck pouches. The tail is brown suffused 

 with canii^anula bine and beryl green toward its base. 



Snout to vent, 74 mm. ; fore limb, 37 mm. ; tail, 105 mm. ; shielded part of head, 

 15 mm. ; hind limb, 51 mm."; base of fifth to end of fourth toe, 22 mm. 



There is v(5ry little variation in color, either individual, sc-xual, or in accordance 

 with age. One nialo from Mirallores has a single large blue ])atch on the throat, 

 through which the ordinarily wliitish lines show as lines of }»aler blue. 



Tills species may be easily distiiiguislied from S. consohriini.s by its larger scales on 

 the back of the thigh; from aS'. hiseriatus by its larger scales on tho border of the 

 ear and the l)ack of tho thigh; from S. orcutiii by its snuiller and much rougher 

 dorsals; and from S. maijister and S. costeromiis by its smaller and more sharply 

 nuicronate scales. It ditfers from ail tlieso in coloration. 



IVlr. A'an Denburgh gives the following list of localities from which 

 he obtained specimens of S. licldi: Sau Jose del Cabo, Lower (Cali- 

 fornia: Corral de Piedras, Sierra el Taste, Lower California; Miraflores, 

 Lower California; Sierra San Lazaro, Lower California. 



