CKOCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKE8. 



395 



SCELOPORUS COUCHII Baird. 



Sceloporus couehil Baikd, Pioc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1858, p. 254. 



Cepbalic plates smooth. Sui)raorbitals in one large cresceiitic series, 

 embracing a smaller one in its concavity; an internal and two external 

 series in addition, tlie latter sometimes confused with the exterior cen- 

 tral so as to have but two external to the large ones. Occipital very 

 large, with large ones behind ; one vertical. An anterior median penta- 

 gon surrounded by five plates. Dorsal and rump scales very small, 

 smaller than caudal, but abruptly much larger than the entire lateral 



Fig. 6(5. 



SCELOPOKUS COUCHII BAIRD. 



X2. 



Nuevo Leon. 



Cat. No. 2739, U.S.N.M. 



series; dorsal scales without mucro or denticulation; belly scales entire; 

 about eighty-two series of scales from head to tail. Free i)ortion of 

 hind foot shorter than cephalic j)lates, in male longer than in female. 

 Femoral pores about eighteen or twenty. 



Above greenish olive, irregularly varied with small dusky blotches, 

 with indistinct border behind lighter than ground color. Two lateral 

 stripes separated by about eighteen rows of scales. Side of neck and 

 body dark indigo; an oblique whitish stripe on sides from groin; a 

 perpendicular bar above the shoulder and several light blotches on 

 and in front of shoulder, circumscribing a subcircular indigo patch 

 with a central blotcli. Sides of jaws with blue and whitish bars 

 extending round on the chin obliquely backward. Female almost 

 plain greenish blue; whitish beneath. 



This species, among those with the smallest dorsal scales, is also one 

 of small dimensions. The head is dei)ressed, rather pointed, but 

 rounded at the tip, and the distance from snout to end of occipitals is 



