572 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



collar with smaller often granular scales. Four supraorbital scales, 

 tlie posterior smaller than tlie others. These are separated from both 

 the superciliaries and the frontal and frontoparietal by granular scales 

 whose extension anteriorly diflfers in different individuals. Fronto- 

 parietals as large as the parietals, truncate in front. Interparietal 

 longer than broad, longer than each parietal. The latter undivided. 

 A transverse series of small plates bound the parietals and inter- 

 parietals posteriorly. Frenal plate longer than postnasal. One row of 

 scuta in front of orbit and below orbit, separating the latter from the 

 superior labials. Superior labials five to below middle of orbit, the 

 fifth acuminate posteriorly. Infralabials five. 



Brachial scales in four to eight longitudinal rows (rarely five) counted 

 at the middle, continuous with antebrachials, which are in three rows 

 (rarely two). Post-antebrachials small, uniform. Femoral plates in 

 seven to nine rows (counted at middle and to the line of pores) and 

 tibial plates in three longitudinal rows. Femoral pores varying from 

 nineteen to twenty-one in number. 



Color varying from olivaceous black to olivaceous brown, which is 

 marked by light yellow or orange longitudinal stripes or spots on the 

 dark ground, or reversed by black spots on a light ground. The head 

 is unspotted and unstriped, except occasional maculations of the gular 

 region. Belly from yellowish to black or spotted. Limbs crossbarred 

 or spotted, and not distinctly striped posteriorly. 



The size varies from a length of head and body of 86 mm. to 102 mm. 

 In the former the total length is 260 mm.; in the latter, 350 mm. For 

 more detailed measurements see under the respective subspecies. 



This species ranges over the Sonoran and Lower Californian regions 

 and the Pacific, nearly to the northern boundary of California. Its 

 distribution is somewhat coincident with that of the Eutcenia elegans 

 (omitting the Kooky Mountains proper), and its eastern border is over- 

 lapped by the range of the eastern C. sexlmeatus. The range of varia- 

 tions of color seen in the C. tessellatus is about the same as that seen 

 in the C. gularis, although, with a few exceptions, the subspecies of 

 the two may be distinguished from each other by color characteristics 

 without examining the scale characters. The parallelism is, however, 

 very close, and shows the same line of modifications. I refer more 

 especially to these under the head of C. yularis. 



The subspecies of the C. tessellatus are five, as follows : 



I. BracLial scales 4-5 rows; feinorals 6-7 rows. 



Blackish olive above, with a median dorsal paler stripe, and three similar stripes 

 on each side ; belly and throat unspotted C. /. pcrplexus. 



Two pale stripes on each side only, the interspaces pale spotted, and frequently 

 broken up into black or olive spots so as to destroy their integrity ; generally 

 sparsely black spotted below C. t. tessellatus. 



No stripes, \>\\t 12-14 longitudinal series of pale spots on an olivaceous ground, 

 more or less confluent; hind legs with numerous pale spots; thorax, collar, 

 and more or less of throat black C. t. melanoateihus. 



