46 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



erts, pushing its way north to Owen's, Panamint, Death, 

 and Amargosa Valleys. West of the desert region it has 

 not been found and doubtless does not occur. It is 

 quite common at Yuma. In Nevada, it has been taken 

 on the Amargosa Desert and at Callville on the Great 

 Bend of the Colorado River. 



Habits. — At Yuma, this lizard lives in burrows in the 

 mounds of sand which the winds heap up around the 

 cactus bunches; the spines of the cactus serving to pro- 

 tect them from the quick swoops of hungry hawks and 

 the digging of larger enemies. Dr. C. Hart Merriam 

 says:* "It is a strict vegetarian, feeding on buds and 

 flowers, which it devours in large quantities. No in- 

 sects were found in any of the stomachs examined; 

 some contained beautiful bouquets of the yellow blos- 

 soms of acacia, the orange malvastrum, the rich purple 

 Dalea, and the mesquite (Prosopis juliflora); others con- 

 tained leaves only." 



Genus 6. UMA. 



Uma, Bated, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1858, p. 253 (type notata). 



"A series of elongate free scales on each side of the 

 digits, and on the external side of the sole." "Ears 

 distinct. A very long infraorbital plate. Palate with- 

 out teeth. Outer face of upper labials plane and broad- 

 ly vertical; the labials themselves much imbricated, 

 and very oblique. Scales of body above equal, much 

 smaller than ventral ones. Interorbital space with two 

 series of plates. Claws very long, slender and straight." 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



a.— Nine rows of loreal plates; black spots on side of belly. 



XJ. uotata. — p. 47. 

 a^— Five or six rows of loreal plates; no black spots on side of belly. 



U. iuornata. — p. 47. 



* N. A. Fauna No. 7, 1893, p. 105. 



