CROCODIT.IAXS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



1001 



wide as liigh, obtusely rounded, visible from above. Internasals wider 

 tliau long. Frontal with lateral and anterior borders straight and 

 about equal, twice as wide as each superciliary. Tarietals longer than 

 wide, truncate posteriorly. Nostril partially in the prenasal. Tem- 

 porals 1-2, the first extending to middle of last superior labial. Seven 

 upper labials on each side. Lower labials seven, of which the fourth 

 and fifth are very large, extending quite to the mental. A second 

 plate parallel with the sixth, rather longer. Pregeneials longer than 

 postgeneials; the latter bounded behind by the generally undivided 

 first gastrostege, which is separated from the labials by one row of 

 scales. Exterior row of scales largest, rest diminishing gradually to 

 the back; all keeled, the first weakly. 



Color grayish brown, sometimes chestnut-brown above and on the 

 sides, with a dorsal stripe extending from occij)ut to the end of the tail, 

 of a decidedly lighter tint, and about three and two half-scales in width. 

 This is bordered along each outer edge by a series of rounded brown 

 dots, occurring at intervals of about two scales; of these there are 



Fig. 208. 



Storkria dekayi Holbrook. 



X 2. 



Racine, Wisconsin. 



Cat. No. 1858, U.S.N.M. 



about seventy pairs from occiput to anus. Each dot occupies gener- 

 ally a single scale, but is sometimes seen on the skin on each side. On 

 separating the scales, the skin on each side of the fourth lateral row of 

 scales exhibits a second series, similar to and alternating with the first. 

 A third series, opposite to the first and alternating with the second, is 

 seen along the second row, and there are even traces of a fourth 

 between the abdominal and first dorsal series. Of these only the first- 

 mentioned series is visible under ordinary circumstances, and is gen- 

 erally only to be made out on separating the scales, the color only occa- 

 sionally being shown on their margins, The first pair of dots just 

 behind and across the angle of the jaw is enlarged into a crescentic 

 patch, concave before. A second narrow vertical patch of black across 

 the sides of the head, anterior to a point halfway between the first and 

 the eye; this sometimes interrupted in the middle. The posterior mar- 

 gins of the third and fourth (sometimes the second) labials black, show- 

 ing two vertical lines below the orbit. Plates on toj) of head mottled 

 chestnut-brown. 



