634 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



3. Lateral stripes and dusky band becoming obliterated, first the 

 upper then tlie lower, the head swelling still more; finally the body 

 uniform greenish or reddish olive, whitish beneath, the head as broad 

 as long and bright brick red. 



Of these stages the first is confined to very young (less than 50 mm. 

 or 62.5 mm.). The red and broad-headed individuals, without distinct 

 stripes, of whatever size, are males j the largest, with narrow head and 

 distinct stripes, are females. 



More northern specimens do not appear to assume the red head and 

 plain coloration. 



In Cat. No. 3129 the plates of the head are much as described in P. 

 sMltonianus. The legs are much longer, the hinder applied twice for- 



Fig. l'J5. 



EUMECES QUINQUELINEATCS LlNN^US. 



Adult male. 



— 1. 



Texas. 



Cat. No. 9234, U.S.N.M. 



ward reaching a little beyond the eye; from knee contained three timec 

 in head and body or reaching halfway from root, two and one- sixth from 

 head to between fore legs. Fore leg from elbow one and one-fifth times 

 the head to ear, which is contained four and one-half times in head and 

 body, which again is contained one and one-half times in the tail. The 

 width of head is two-thirds the length to ear. The body at the middle 

 is encircled by twenty-eight rows of scales, and there are fifty-six from 

 head to tail. 



Other specimens, however, vary considerably from this standard. 

 Thus the number of dorsal rows appears to vary up to thirty- four, the 

 highest I have yet observed, every intermediate number occurring from 

 twenty-eight, the smallest. The longitudinal dorsal number is gener- 

 ally fifty-five or fifty-six. With advancing age the head becomes 



