19. VERTICARIA 561 



ciliaries and parietal, and usually from frontoparietal, 

 frontal and first supraocular, by small granular scales. A 

 single large frontoparietal plate separating frontal from 

 interparietal and parietals. One or two transverse rows of 

 small occipital plates. About five superior and as many in- 

 ferior labials to a point below middle of eye. Large sub- 

 labial plates present. Gulars large centrally, becoming 

 smaller anteriorly and laterally, and changing abruptly to 

 smaller granules posteriorly. Scales on fold or collar 

 usually large, largest being along its edge. Eight longi- 

 tudinal rows of ventral plates. Back and sides covered with 

 small, smooth, equal-sized granules. Limbs plated in front 

 and below. Rings of large scales, strongly keeled except 

 on the proximal part of its ventral surface, covering the 

 tail. Ear-opening large, without denticulation. About 13 

 to 16 pores in a series along each thigh. 



The boay is black or brown above and laterally, darkest 

 in young specimens, sometimes dotted with gray, with two 

 (or rarely one or three) longitudinal light lines along the 

 middle of the back. When there is only one middorsal line 

 it is forked anteriorly for at least one third its length. On 

 each side, are two light longitudinal lines which usually are 

 a little wider and lighter than the dorsal lines. The upper 

 lateral line originates on the superciliaries and is continued 

 along the tailj the lower starts on the nasal plate and ends 

 on the thigh. The back of the thigh shows a stripe which 

 also is continued on the tail. Thus near its base the tail is 

 banded like the back, but it becomes unicolor toward the 

 tip. It is bright campanula blue in the young but this color 

 disappears with age. The lower surfaces are yellowish 

 white, often tinted with gray or bluish slate on the belly, 

 more or less washed with bright reddish orange-chrome in 

 adults. 



