CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



641 



ptirtly on the second labial; this succeeded by a second, twice its 

 area and height; higher and half as long as the loreal and in contact 

 with both froiitals and postfrontals. Upper labials, seven or eight. 

 The two central rows of dorsal scales are abruptly larger than the 

 next. Twenty-four or twenty-six rows of scales around body, and 

 about sixty-three from head to tail. 



Young, clear oliv^e, with two white stripes on each side, inclosing a 

 black space, and the upper bordered above by a black line; the lower 

 with one less defined. The stripes on adjacent edges of two rows of 

 scales, the middle of the two lower, stripes ten or twelve scales apart 

 across the back. Back with two median rows of olive scales. Upper 

 stripes involving exterior half or third of the second row from the mid- 

 dle, and not half as wide as their interspace. Legs without stripes; 



Fig. 126. 



EOMECES SKILTONIANUS BAIED AND GrlRARD. 



X §. 



Califoruia. 



Cat. No. 11156, U.S.N.M. 



with age the stripes become more or less effaced ; the head above reddish 

 olive. In variety amblyr/rammus the white stripes broader, occupying 

 adjacent two-thirds of two rows of scales, the upper stripes half the 

 width of their dorsal interspace, which is uniformly black. 



Limbs short; hind leg. from knee, contained three and one-half times 

 in head and body. The fifth hind toe is rather shorter than second, the 

 free portion of longest about two-thirds the side of head. 



In Cat. No. 3172ft, the type, there are twenty-five to twenty-seven rows 

 of scales around the body, varying with the region, and fifty-eight to 

 sixty-three from occiput to above anus. The hind leg reaches forward 

 halfway to the middle of the insertion of the arm ; the forelegs only to 

 the gape of the mouth. The hind leg, from knee, is contained about 

 three and two-thirds times in head and body; the head to ear five and 

 one-half times. The arm, from elbow, is about equal to head to ear. 

 NAT MUS 98 41 



