REPTILES OP THE PACIFIC COAST. 61 



keeled. Rostral plate very small. Labial plates 

 small and of about equal size. Symphyseal plate long 

 but very narrow. Several series of slightly enlarged 

 sublabials passing gradually into the finely granular 

 gulars. Gular fold covered with very small scales. Ear- 

 opening large, almost vertical, with strong anterior 

 denticulation of spinose scales. A strong fold on each 

 side of neck, bearing numerous spinose tubercles. Scales 

 on back and sides small, largest medially and on strong 

 lateral fold, smooth and juxtaposed except laterally, be- 

 coming there keeled and slightly imbricate. Ventral 

 scales smooth, smaller than dorsals. Tail little longer 

 than head and body, conical, very stout, and covered 

 with whorls of small, weakly keeled, feebly spinose 

 scales. Femoral pores very large, varying in number 

 from fifteen to eighteen. 



The head, neck, and limbs are dull brownish black 

 with a few scattered scales of grayish yellow. The back 

 is dark brown or dull straw-color speckled with red, 

 straw-color, or dark brown, and sometimes crossed by 

 several broad bands of dark brown or black. The tail 

 is dull straw-color with or without wide rings of black 

 or dark brown. The ventral surfaces are black or dark 

 brown more or less relieved with dull yellow. 



A living specimen was colored as follows: The head 

 and neck are uniform black, as are also the upper surfaces 

 of the arms and legs. The hands and feet are speckled 

 with dull yellowish white. The central portion of the 

 back is chiefly brick-red dotted with black and yellowish 

 white. Its lateral portions are chiefly black, but are 

 dotted with deep vermilion and yellowish white. The 

 sides are similar to the central portion of the back, but 

 with less white and with red of a darker shade. The 

 chest is bhick with a continuation of the red of each 



