MEXICAN HERPETOLOGICAL MISCELLANY—SMITH 379 
enlarged scales much reduced in size toward base of tail; this whorl 
dropped on ventral surface, leaving three whorls to a segment. 
Color.—Dark brown above, with large, anastomosing light spots; 
head light; belly, throat, and tail unmarked; chinshields with feeble 
dark marks. 
Variation —The two paratypes have 10 femoral pores on each side 
(uncertain on one side of one). Both lack a median frontonasal, and 
the temporal scales anterior to ear and gular scales are small, as in 
the type. 
Comparisons.—This subspecies is similar to tehwanae in the absence 
of the median frontonasal, but it differs from that subspecies as well 
as from smithii in the small size of the temporal and gular scales, 
presence of a row of enlarged tubercles next to the enlarged tem- 
porals, and in the reduction in size of the scales in the enlarged tail 
whorls. 
The 3 subspecies of smithii hold in common a low femoral pore 
count, a maximum of 4 (1 incomplete) dorsal and 3 ventral whorls 
to a caudal segment, and in these characters differ rather widely 
from flavomaculatum, which usually has 14 or more femoral pores 
and a maximum of 5 whorls (2 incomplete) to a caudal segment. 
In 17 typical specimens of favomaculatum (Guatemala and Mexico), 
the median frontonasal is absent in 1, the femoral pores are 15 to 22 
(Hoyts 16, 4:17, 43 18,7: 1951; 20,35 22.1). and im all the additional 
dorsal whoris of caudal scales are present even near the base of the 
tail. In 12 7. obscurum from Tela, Honduras, to Panama, the median 
frontonasa] is absent in 3, and the femoral pores vary from 13 to 19 
(18, 1; 14, 55 15, 10; 16, 2; 17, 45 18,2; 19, 1); in the 2 Panama speci- 
mens the tail is as in typical favomaculatum, while in the others the 
additional whorls become evident only distal to the middle of the tail. 
These data seem to indicate that there is a closer relationship be- 
tween smithii, tehuanae, and occulor than between any of them and 
flavomaculatum or obscurum. For this reason the former three are 
assumed to be races of one species, while the latter two belong to 
another. 
KEY TO MEXICAN LEPIDOPHYMA AND GAIGEHIA 
1, Distinct, vertical rows, separated from each other by granular areas, of well- 
differentiated, enlarged, keeled scales on sides of body___ Lepidophyma 2 
No distinct, vertical rows of enlarged scales on sides of body__-__ Gaigeia 5 
2. All (except basal) whorls of enlarged scales on tail separated from each 
other dorsally by 4 rows of scales; femoral pores 15 to 22; median prefrontal 
normally present, sometimes absent; Atlantic slopes, Tabasco into Guate- 
TG Pe Sa cs Se Oe flavomaculatum flavomaculatum 
All whorls of enlarged scales on tail separated from each other dorsally by 
3 rows of scales (rarely feeble evidence of a fourth row) ; femoral pores 
less than 14; median prefrontal present or absent________._._..______ 3 
