102 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



rudimentary or even absent. The family is repre- 

 sented in California by a single genus. 



Genus 14. GERRHONOTUS. 



Gerrhonotus, Wiegm., Isis, 1828, p. 379; Ahronia, Gray, Adu. & 

 Mag. Nat. Hist., I, 1838, p. ,389; Elgaria, Gray, 1. c, p. 390. 



There are four pentadactyle limbs. The head and 

 body are elongate, but shorter than the tail. The head- 

 plates are rather large and change gradually to those of 

 the neck. Interoccipital and azygous prefontal plates 

 are present. The dorsal, caudal, and ventral scales are 

 large, rhomboidal, and arranged in transverse as well as 

 longitudinal series. A band of granules along each 

 side of the body is usually hidden by a dermal fold. 

 The eye is large, with round pupil and well developed 

 lids. The ear-opening is distinct. There is no trans- 

 verse gular fold. Femoral and preanal pores are absent. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



a. — Lower temporal scales smooth. 



b. — Dorsal and caudal scales strongly keeled. 



c— Dorsal scales in fourteen (rarely 14| or 12|) longitudinal series; '' 

 interoccipital plate (usually) single; azygous prefrontal large and 

 very broad; belly rarely without gray or slate-colored longitudinal 

 lines, which, when present, run along the middle of each series of 



ventral plates. t G. scincicauda.— p. 103. 



c'^— Dorsal scales in sixteen (rarely 15| or 18) longitudinal series; in- 

 teroccipital usually represented by two to four small scales; 

 azygous prefrontal usually of moderate size or small; gray or 

 slate-colored longitudinal lines between the series of ventral 

 plates, if present G-. burnettii.— p. 107. 



♦The scales of the row nearest the granular area vary somewhat in size in different 

 specimens. When counting the dorsal series, the lowest (on each side) should not be in- 

 cluded if its scales are less than half the size of those immediately above them. When 

 Its scales are half the size of those above, I have called the lowest row J series; when 

 more than half the size of those above, a whole series. 



t Specimens of G. scincicauda and G. burneltii can usually be recognized at a glance, but 

 the amount of individual variation is so great that it is very difficult to express their 

 characteristics in a key which will serve to distinguish all specimens. It should be re- 

 membered that single specimens may vary in one or more of the characters given (except 



