REPTILES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 219 



nasal. Two nasals. Usually two preoculars and four 

 internasals. A large scale just in front of supraocular 

 and occasionally large scales on prefrontal region. 

 Supraocular large but not raised into a horn-like pro- 

 cess,* separated from its fellow by from three to six 

 irregular rows of scales. Fourteen to seventeen superior 

 and a similar number of inferior labials; first pair of 

 latter meeting in front of single pair of geneials. Two 

 to four rows of scales between supralabials and eye. 

 Scales in twenty-five to twenty-nine rows, keeled except 

 in one to three rows of each side. Gastrosteges vary- 

 ing from one hundred and seventy-eight to one hundred 

 and eighty-eight. Urosteges nineteen to twenty-eight. 

 The ground color is grayish or yellowish brown, 

 marked along the back with a series of large, darker 

 brown blotches which usually become cross-bars or in- 

 complete rings posteriorly. These blotches are paler 

 centrally than about their edges and vary greatly in 

 shape and amount of separation. Smaller alternating 

 dark blotches are usually present on the sides. Many 

 of the scales between or around the dark dorsal blotches 

 are light — gray or white. These colors sometimes show 

 between the dark lateral blotches also. Many specimens 

 show a light transverse streak on the supraocular. A 

 dark streak runs from 

 the eye to the corner of 

 the mouth, the line of 

 its lower edge passing 

 in front of the eye or 

 striking it about under its anterior corner. This dark 

 streak is bordered above by a light streak which is 

 not wider than the width of one scale and passes above 



*Ciarmau mentions a specimen with horn-like supraocular. 



