CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 445 



to gular fold, 19 mm.; length to base of occipital horns, 18 mm.; Avidth 

 at temporal spines, 21 mm.; length of fore leg, 35 mm.; length of fore 

 foot, 16 mm.; leugtli of hind leg, 48 mm.; length of hind foot, 20 mm. 



In life the ground color of the dorsal region is a ])inkish gray or 

 grayish cream color, and this is marked with blackish, as follows: A 

 large spot on each side of the nape, which may or may not be fused 

 near the occiput, and which do not reach the humeri. From three to 

 five chevrons directed posteriorly along the lines of the larger scales, 

 well defined posteriorly only, and with the external extremities turned 

 backward. These marks may become obsolt te on the posterior part 

 of the back, especially in old animals. Limbs distantly, tail rather 

 closely, cross banded with dusky. Inferior surfaces immaculate cream 

 color, with sometimes a few dusky specks posteriorly and on the femora. 

 The head above yellowish or reddish brown and without color marks. 



There is sometimes a shallow fissure in the scaling in the position of 

 the tympanic membrane in this species, but I have never seen that 

 membrane exposed in even a rudimentary manner. This may, how- 

 ever, rarely be the case, but no specimen has been seen, so far as I am 

 aware, with a distinct tympanic disk. 



This is the Great liasiu horned lizard, and is not found outside of its 

 limits. It ranges from southeastern California to northern Nevada and 

 southern Idaho. From the latter State Dr. J. L. Wortinan sent mo a 

 specimen from the Bruneau River. I found it abundant near Pyramid 

 Lake, Nevada, and at the west foot of the San Iraucisco Mountains, 

 in southwestern Utah. Its <'olors are the most pleasing in the genus. 



The stomach of an individual i'rom northwestern Nevada was filled 

 with bodies and fragments of the large red ant which abounds in that 

 region, which Dr. McCook identifies as the Pogonomyrmex occidcntalis. 

 Besides these there was a grasshopi)er, a rentntoma-\\ke hemipter, a 

 small beetle, and several insect larvjc. The ant is evidently its princi- 

 pal food, and there is no scarcity of them in that arid region. Tlieir 

 sting is very severe, and the Anota must be proof against it to a degree 

 much superior to that possessed by the (to him) gigantic mammal, man. 



Dr. Stejneger remarks of this species as observed by the Death Val- 

 ley exploring expedition : 



Anota plat jirhina inhabits the Lower Sonorau deserts of the Great Basin from Cali- 

 fornia to Utah and ranges up a sliort distantte into the Upper Sonoran. lu Califctruia 

 it Avas found in greater or less abundance in the Mohave Desert, in Owens, Coso, 

 Panainiut, Death, Jlesquite, and Deep Spring valleys, and in the Argus, Funeral, 

 and Panamint mountains (up to 1,740 meters or 5,700 feet on west slope northwest 

 of Wild Rose Sjjring). In Nevada it was abundant in Sarcobatus Flat, the Amar- 

 gosa Desert, Ash Meadows. Indian Spring, Fahrunip, Yegas, Pahranagat, and Meadow 

 Creek valleys, and the valley of the Virgin and IVIuddy. In the northwestern cor- 

 ner of Arizona it was very abundant about the mouth of Beavcrdam Creek and 

 thence up on the west slope of the Beaverdam Mountains. In Utah it was common 

 in the Santa Clara Valley ranging up through the sage brush to Diamond Valley 

 and Mountain Meadows. 



At Ash Meadows in the Amargosa Desert a very white form was found liviu"- on 

 the white alkali soil. 



