19; VERTICARIA 573 



much darker back with less red, and the more evident strip- 

 ing of the hind limbs and tail. Both have the sides de- 

 cidedly red. V. sericea is most closely related to V . jran- 

 ciscensis. 



128. Verticaria caerulea Dickerson 



Carmen Island Verticaria 



Verticaria carulea Dickerson, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. 41, 

 191 9, p. 472 (type locality, Carmen Island, Gulf of California, 

 Mexico); Nelson, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., Vol. XVI, 1921, pp. 

 114, 115, 171. 



Descri-ption. — Nostrils opening in large anterior nasal 

 plates which meet on top of snout. Posterior nasal forming 

 sutures with anterior nasal, first, second and sometimes third 

 labials, loreal, prefrontal, and frontonasal plates. Loreal in 

 contact with third and fourth and (rarely) second labials, 

 first supraocular, preocular, first superciliary, (usually) sup- 

 raocular, prefrontal, and posterior nasal, plates. Three or 

 very rarely four supraoculars; first in contact with supercili- 

 ary, prefrontal and frontal plates, and usually with loreal 

 and second supraocular; second usually touching frontal; 

 third usually separated by granules from the frontal or 

 frontoparietal or both ; fourth, when present, 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 more or less separated from the inf ralabials 

 by granules. Five or six superior and five to seven inferior la- 

 bials to below middle of eye. Anterior gulars quite large, 

 and abruptly separated from the smaller posterior granules. 

 Scales on collar very large, largest one row from its edge. 

 Ventral plates in eight longitudinal and about 28 to 30 trans- 

 verse rows. Back and sides covered with small, smooth, 

 equal-sized granules. Tail somewhat flattened at base, cov- 



