118 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



in the interior of Monterey County, and Bear Valley, 

 in San Benito County. It doubtless occurs in many 

 parts of the San Joaquin Valley, where it has been taken 

 in Tulare County. Farther south it has been found at 

 San Bernardino, and is very common near San Jacinto, 

 Riverside County, and in the western portion of San 

 Diego County. 



Habits.— The habits and food of the Footless Lizard 

 or "Silver Snake" are the same as those of Anniella 

 nigra. 



33.— Anniella nigra Fischer. Black Footless Lizard. 



Anniella nigra, Fischer, Abh. Nat. Vereiu Hamburg, IX, 1, 1885 

 (1886), p. 9 (type locality San Diego, California). 



Description. — Head very slightly depressed, short, 

 and scarcely distinct from neck. Snout projecting be- 

 yond lower jaw. Rostral plate very large and strongly 

 recurved on top of snout, separated there from frontal 

 by a pair of large prefrontals. Behind large frontal, 

 single very broad frontoparietal, its posterior margin 

 notched to receive a small interparietal with which it 

 sometimes unites. On each side of interparietal, a 

 small parietal, and behind these usually two small occip- 

 itals separated by an interoccipital. One large and 

 one or more small supraoculars and a series of small 

 superciliaries. Large preocular with a smaller one be- 

 low it. Nasal large and extending to margin of lip, 

 but a small first supralabial may be seen below it. 

 Second supralabial largest. Symphyseal large, followed 

 by several pair of large sublabials. Infralabials smaller 

 than supralabials. Dorsal, lateral, ventral, and caudal 

 scales all similar, slightly largest on tail and smallest on 

 neck, strongly imbricate, rounded in posterior outline, 

 and perfectly smooth. Preanal scales slightly enlarged. 



