14. GERRHONOTUS 451 



Gerrhonotus scincicauda Van Denburgh, Occas. Papers Cal. Acad. Sci., 

 V, 1897, p. 103 (part); Van Denburgh, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 

 3, Zoo!., Vol. 4, No. I, 1905, pp. 3, 10, 12, 14; Van Denburgh, 

 Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 3, 1912, p. 157; Van Denburgh 

 & Slevin, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 4, 1914, pp. 132, 134, 

 135, 136; Stejneger & Barbour, Check List N. Amer. Ampli. 

 Kept., 1917, p. 62. 



Gerrhonotus scincicauda scincicauda Grinnell & Camp, Univ. Cal. Publ. 

 Zool., Vol. 17, No. 10, 1917, p. 166. 



Gerrhonotus sp., McCracken, Copeia, No. 68, 1919, p. 14. 



Description. — Body long and rather slender, with short 

 limbs and very long tail. Head pointed, with flattened top 

 and nearly vertical sides, its temporal regions often greatly 

 swollen in old individuals. Rostral plate rounded in upper 

 outline. Behind it, on top of the head, a pair of small 

 internasals, a pair of small frontonasals (sometimes absent), 

 a very large azygous prefrontal, a pair of large prefrontals, 

 z. long frontal, a pair of frontoparietals, two parietals, sep- 

 arated by an interparietal, a pair of occipitals, and a 

 (usually) single interoccipital. Two series (five and three) 

 supraoculars, and a series of small superciliaries. Upper 

 temporal scales usually keeled, but lower two or three series 

 smooth. Upper labials much larger than lower. Below 

 latter two series of large sublabial plates, lower larger. 

 Gular scales smooth and imbricate. Scales on upper sur- 

 faces and sides of neck, body and tail, large, rhomboidal, 

 slightly oblique, strongly keeled, strengthened with bony 

 plates, and arranged in both transverse and longitudinal 

 series. Number of longitudinal dorsal series on body 14 

 (rarely 12 2^2 or 14 2^2). Number of transverse series 

 between interoccipital plate and backs of thighs varying 

 from 41 to 52 (average in 85 specimens, 47.6). A band of 

 granules along each side from the large ear-opening to the 

 anus, usually hidden by a strong fold.* Ventral plates 



•This fold often disappears in specimens full of eggs or food. 



