19. VERTICARIA 557 



prefrontal, and frontal plates, and usually with loreal and 

 second supraocular j second usually touching frontal j third 

 usually forming sutures with the frontal and frontal par- 

 ietal J fourth separated from parietal by a series of granules. 

 Frontoparietal more than half as large as frontal. One or two 

 rows of small occipital plates. Sublabials separated from 

 the infralabials by granules. Five or six superior and five 

 to seven inferior labials to below middle of the eye. An- 

 terior gulars quite large, and abruptly separated from the 

 smaller posterior granules. Scales on collar very large, 

 largest on its edge. Ventral plates in eight longitudinal 

 and about 30 transverse rows. Back and sides covered with 

 small, smooth, equal-sized granules. Tail somewhat flat- 

 tened at base, covered with whorls of diagonally keeled 

 scales. Lower caudals smooth on base of tail. Hind limb 

 as long as distance between anus and front of collar. Ear- 

 opening large, without denticulation. Fourteen to 23 fe- 

 moral pores on each thigh. 



The plates on the head are pale olive. There are two 

 or three narrow longitudinal wood-brown lines along the 

 middle of the back, separated by an area of sepia. The 

 sides are dark olive or blackish brown with two bluish white 

 longitudinal lines. The upper of these lateral lines arises 

 on the superciliary plates and is continued for some dis- 

 tance on the tail. The lower originates on the posterior 

 nasal plate and ends on the thigh. A light stripe on the 

 back of the thigh is continued along the tail. The first and 

 half of the second longitudinal rows of ventral plates are 

 grayish pale blue. The entire lower surface, except of the 

 hind limbs, is reddish orange-chrome in brightly colored 

 specimens, but often is yellowish white somewhat clouded 

 with bluish on the body. 



