CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 635 



broader behind, until in the ^'laticeps^^ its width is equal to the length 

 above, and laterally to the distance from nostril to ear. The unusual 

 expansion is chiefly in the cheeks, which are wider from above down- 

 ward, and are completely ossified. 



The general color of head and body above is a dark olive green, with 

 five nearly or quite equidistant bluish or greenish white stripes, 

 one median and two lateral on each side, becoming blue on the tail and 

 extending to the tip. The stripes are all of equal width, a little more 

 than one-third the width of their intervals, and occupy rather less than 

 the adjacent halves of contiguous rows of scales, sometimes only one- 

 third. Between each stripe is a row of perfectly plain scales; the 

 remainder of the white-streaked 'rows being black. The interval 

 between the two lateral white stripes is black; the others are all mar- 

 gined by a line of black on the rest of the row of scales as stated, 

 leaving on the back two dorsal rows, one on each side the median line, 

 dark olive. Beneath the lower white stripe is an obscure dusky 

 streak. The under parts are light salmon, tinged with bluish on the 

 belly and sides of tail. 



The lowest lateral stripe begins on the upper labials and runs through 

 the ear; the upper starts on the canthus rostralis a little in fi'ont of the 

 eye. The median bifurcates at the occiput, sending two branches for- 

 ward along the edge of the vertical, and uniting in a gentle curve at 

 the rostral. ' 



There is a white line down the posterior face of the thigh and another 

 on the anterior ftice, both confluent with the lower lateral stripe, and 

 becoming more broken on the tibial portion. The fore legs appear 

 slightly spotted also. 



In some specimens, as Cat. I^o. 3129&, the white lateral stripes above 

 the fore leg run obliquely from one row of scales to another; owe upper 

 lateral stripe passes along the middle of the fourth row of scales from 

 the median line of back, leaving two olive-colored rows, while its fellow 

 on the opposite side is more as described. 



In many, in fact, in most specimens, the light stripe on the anterior 

 face of the thigh is wanting. The upper lateral stripe does not always 

 bound the exterior of the third row of scales from the middle of the 

 back, but is freipiently cimflned to the fourth, especially posteriorly, the 

 line sometimes, as already stated, crossing from one row to the other. 

 The ground color is sometimes entirely black; the stripes yellowish or 

 golden. 



I have in the preceding paragraphs confined my attention to the very 

 young specimens usually known as the Eumeces fasciatUKS. With 

 increasing age the stripes on the head become obscure and then disap- 

 pear entirely, the head assuming more or less of a reddish tinge. The 

 cheeks expand and become tinged, especially below and behind, where 

 the large plates are ultimately folded into the cavity of the ear and the 

 two or three floating triangular scales affixed along its anterior edge 



