REPTILES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 67 



strongly keeled, sharply pointed, and larger above than 

 below. Posterior surfaces of thighs and arms covered 

 with small granular scales similar to those of sides of 

 body. Other surfaces of limbs provided with large 

 scales, keeled except on ventral surfaces of thighs, legs, 

 and arms. Femoral pores varying in number from 

 twelve to seventeen. About twenty-three to twenty- 

 eight dorsal scales equaling the shielded part of head. 



This lizard displays a very great amount of variation 

 in both the pattern and intensity of its coloring. The 

 back and sides are variously striped, spotted, or marbled 

 with dark brown, blue, green, gray, or yellow; the 

 former often with a double series of large brown spots, 

 light-edged behind, which usually are much more dis- 

 tinct in females and young than in adult males. The 

 tail is similarly marked, but is often ringed with brown. 

 Below, the general color is yellowish white, usually 

 more or less tinged with greenish or bluish on the sides 

 of the belly. The throat in adults is blue, dotted or 

 narrowly banded on the chin and sides with white, yel- 

 low, or orange. There is a round indigo spot behind 

 the axilla and usually a brown patch in front of the 

 shoulder. 



Leugthtoauus 30 37 46 48 49 53 



Length of tail 57 72 91 98 95 



Snout to orbit 3 3 3 4 4 4 



Suouttoear 8 10 11 11 12 13 



Width of head 6 8 9 9 10 11 



Fore limb 13 18 18 20 21 21 



Hind limb 22 30 32 36 40 38 



Base of fifth to end of fourth toe 9 13 13 15 16 15 



Distribution. — The Brown-shouldered Uta is more 

 generally distributed in southern California than any 

 other lizard. It ranges over almost all of the desert 

 and southern coast regions, besides the southern portion 



