CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



459 



The nostril is situated in tlie middle of one ])late Avith a narrow rim, 

 wliicli is encircled by live others, instead of being a mere pit between 

 in the angle of four plates, one of them the first labial. The scales are 

 in\u'h finer on the back and coarser on the belly. The liinl)S are shorter. 

 The central line of scales beneath the toes is wider and less angular. 

 The hook on tlie side of the base of the tail is represented in the type 

 by numerous smaller scales. Above, light brownish or reddish yellow, 

 with a series of transverse blotches of darker on each side (about eight 

 or ten). A few seen on the tail. Beneath, uniform whitish. 



Head and body much depressed; the neck somewhat contracted. 

 The ears are small and cresceutic. The eyes are very large; the eye- 

 lids annular and apparently not capable of covering the eye. The 

 bony ring of the sclerotica is composed of many plates, as in birds. The 

 nostrils are small, very far forward, 

 and situated so close to the low ros- 

 tral as to appear partly excavated in 

 it. Thej^ are placed just above the 

 junction of the rostral and first labial, 

 with ten plates between them and 

 touching the rostral. Behind them 

 and against these internasals is an- 

 otlier plate, smaller than the latter; 

 another tubercular plate still smaller 

 and lil<e the others behind it com- 

 pletes the border. The head is in- 

 jured so that the labial plates can 

 not be readily distinguished, but 

 there are apparently eight or nine up- 

 per, the posterior becoming smaller 

 and four or five lower, becoming- 

 smaller behind and then changing to 

 a double series of tubercles. The 

 end of the lower jaw is formed by 



a large, long i)late, acutely angular behind, with a large subpentagonal 

 arc between it and the first labial. Behind this the plates become 

 subhexagonal and diminish gradually in size to the general average, 

 occupying a patch extending as far as opi)Osite the fourth lower labial 

 and bordered behind and laterally by small plates. Those 'bordering 

 the lower labials are not much larger than those on the back part of the 

 chin, similar ones covering the upper part of the head, as far as to the 

 posterior borders of the orbit. The rest of the head above, the back 

 and sides, witli the throat, are covered with small, approximated gran- 

 ules, with much larger conical or trihedral ones interspersed. Of these 

 the back exhibits about ten regular series, five large ones on each side 

 of the median line, with an additional row of smaller ones on each flank. 

 The belly is comi)letely and regularly covered with smooth subhexago- 

 nal scales arranged in (piincunx, although but little imbricated. Of 



Fig. 83. 



I'HYLLODACTYLU.S TUBKRCOLOSUS WiEOMANN. 

 X 2.5. 



Lii Paz, Lower California. 



Cat. No. 12lUfi. U.S.N.Xr. 



