REPTILES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 51 



seen. This species feeds on insects and the blossoms 

 and leaves of plants in about equal proportion."* 



Genus 8. HOLBROOKIA. 



Holbrookia, Girard, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., IV, 1851, p. 200 

 (type maculata); Cophosaurus, Troschel, Arch. f. Nat., 1850 

 (1852), p. 389 (type texanus). 



This genus contains a number of lizards similar to 

 Gallisaurus but with the ears hidden under the skin. 

 The head, rounded when seen from above but pointed 

 in profile, is covered with irregular plates, the largest 

 of which is the interparietal. The labials are produced 

 laterally and are strongly imbricate. There is no ear- 

 opening. The dorsal scales are very small and nearly 

 uniform. There are no fringes of movable spines on 

 the digits. Long series of femoral pores are present, as 

 are one strong and one or more weak gular folds. Males 

 have enlarged postanal plates. 



9.— Holbrookia maculata approximans (Baird). West- 

 ern Earless Lizard. 



Holbrookia approximans, Baird, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1858, p. 



253 (type locality Lower Rio Grande). 

 Holbrookia maculata maculata, Yarrow, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



No. 24, 1882, p, 49. 

 Holbrookia maculata var.flavilenta. Cope, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 



1883, p. 10 (type locality Lake Valley, New Mexico); Stejn- 



EGER, N. A. Fauna, No. 3, p. 109. 



Description. — Head rather short and low. Nostrils 

 large, opening on upper surface of snout. Supraocular 

 regions covered with small plates or granules and sepa- 

 rated from each other by one or two rows of slightly 

 larger plates. Upper head-plates, except interparietal, 

 small and irregular, largest on frontal and prefrontal 

 regions, everywhere smooth and rather flat. Several 



* Merriam, N. A. Fauna, No. 7, 1893, pp. 171, 172. 



