Reptiles and Ampliihians of Illinois. 251 



six to eiglit prefrontals. Internasals about ten, varying 

 greatly in number, most of them obtusely carinate. A single 

 nasal plate with the nostril opening in its posterior part. Au- 

 ricular aperture large, bordered anteriorly with five acutely- 

 pointed scales. Three rows of small supralabials. On the 

 side of the neck behind the ear is a fold of the skin overlying 

 a vertical impression which is lined with minute scales. Scales 

 on the superior surface of the legs carinate; those on the pos- 

 terior surfaces of the humeri and femora very small. All the 

 scales on the tail are carinate and verticillated. A curved lin- 

 ear impression behind the vent. 



Color above grayish brown, with a series of transverse 

 curved black bars on eacli side of the back. Tail and legs 

 above barred with black. All the bars bordered posteriorly 

 with pale. A narrow black line extends from the eye posteri- 

 orly over the ear and fore leg, and may terminate behind the 

 latter or pass into a brown band which continues along the 

 side of the abdomen. This last is often obscure or wanting. 

 A narrow black line crosses the head from one supraciliary 

 ridge to the other. Color beneath grayish white or bluish; in 

 females and young with no, or few, green or blue scales on the 

 throat, and with the throat, sides, and ventral surfaces of the 

 femora speckled with black, generally with a short, dark medi- 

 an band before the vent; in males with most of the throat and 

 a large elongate patch on each side of the abdomen of a me- 

 tallic blue or green color. 



Length from tip of snout to vent, 3.00; from vent to tip 

 of tail, 3.62. 



Southern Illinois, abundant. Grafton, Belleville (Nat. 

 Mus.), Cobden, Anna, Johnson Co., Cave in Rock, Villa Ridge, 

 Cairo. 



This is by far the most abundant lizard in Illinois. It 

 seems to be confined chiefly to the southern third of the State; 

 as far as I know no specimens have been collected north of 

 Grafton, in Jersey county. Dr. Hoy, however, took a specimen 

 in Wisconsin in 1850, and we shall not therefore be surprised 

 if after more careful collecting the species is found to occur 

 farther north in Illinois. But it is always to be remembered 

 that the great change in the character of this State wrought 



