370 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



SCELOPOKUS UNDULATUS UNDULATUS Latreille. 



Sceloporus undulatus undulatns Cope, Check List Batr. Rept. N. Amer., 1875, p. 48. 

 Sceloporus undulatm Baird, LT. S. Pacific R. R. Reports, X; Whipple's Report, 

 Reptiles, p. 37. 



This species is of rather small size, plates on the anterior portion of 

 head above, with a teudeucy to being rugose carinate, the more i)oste- 

 rior with a slight trace of the same. Smaller supraocular scales sqami- 

 form or imbricate and carinate. The neck is constricted and nar- 

 rower than the head. The plates of tlie head exhibit a considerable 

 amount of variation, so that it is difficult to say what is the true for- 

 mula of arrangement. There is, however, always a complete line of 

 small scales along the inner edge of the supraorbital space separating 

 the larger plates from those along the central line of the head. The 

 most common plan, beginning with the parietals, is 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3. The 

 middle parietal is considerably larger than the lateral, and is generally 

 separated from the third single plate by the two of the second series. 

 (Sometimes each of the latter is divided into two, one before the other, 

 the anterior pair in contact, the posterior separated by the middle occi- 

 pital. The fifth series of the plates has frequently (perhaps almost 

 always) a third median, much smaller one. The sixth series sometimes 

 has five plates transversely, exclusive of those on the lateral edge of 

 the head. Anterior to the sixth series is another of three, five, or 

 more small plates, separating it from those around the nostrils. 



It is difficult to determine the number of scales encircling the body, 

 owing to the obliquity of the rows on the sides, those on the back and 

 belly being longitudinal. There are, as nearly as can be ascertained, 

 about forty-four series, and about forty along the back from occiput to 

 above anus. The scales on the back are all acute, and strongly cari- 

 natedaud spinous behind, with one or two rather obsolete den ticulations 

 on each side. As usual, the belly scales, though denticulate, are smooth. 

 There are about seven scales from the orbit to the ear. There are about 

 thirteen well-defined femoral pores. The feet appear to be lengthened; 

 the free part of longest hind toe equal to the head to end of occipitals. 



This species is of a brownish olive or gray above. There is a central 

 dorsal i^ortion covering about ten dorsal rows, margined by a line of 

 still lighter. On each side of the back, from head to anus, are eight or 

 ten narrow, rather undulating V-shaped dark angular bands, the angle 

 anterior and situated in the edge of this light dorsal portion. The 

 inner legs of these angles sometimes nearly meet on the back, forming 

 undulating Vs with the angle behind. The space on the back, imme- 

 diately behind the dark bands, is generally lighter than the ground 

 color, especially in the light lateral stripe. In the female the outer legs 

 of the lateral V-marks are pretty distinctly visible. In the male they 

 are generally (not always) obliterated by a nearly continuous dusky 

 band, Avhich extends from the black in front of the shoulder to the 

 groin; the axilla, however, uucolored, as also a narrow lateral line from 



