The Family Xantusiidae. 



the dead branches were in their true diurnal home, and not mere 

 stragglers from the living yuccas. 



"The specimens were all caught alive and put into a large 

 glass bottle, but were soon killed by the heat, although care was 

 taken to keep them in the shade as much as possible. Count 

 was kept as the lizards were placed in the bottle, and showed 

 later that several more were taken out than had been put in. 

 This may have been due to a mistake in the record, but was more 

 probably caused by the birth of young after capture. The adults 

 were afterward carefully examined and three were found to con- 

 tain young, showing that the species is ovoviparous. One of 

 the three contains two foetuses, and the others have one each. 

 These foetal specimens are about the size of the young found 

 under the dead branches. 



"Hesperia, Cal., Sept. 26th, 1894. Xantusias were very 

 abundant. Young were as numerous as at Mojave, Sept. 17-18, 

 1894, and the habits observed were the same as recorded 

 there. 



"Cabazon, Cal., Sept. 28, 1894. A single specimen, secured 

 after several hours searching, was shaken from the dry leaves 

 of a dead but still standing yucca about two feet high." 



Cope's Lizard, Xantusia picta, Cope. In his description 

 of this lizard, Cope explains that it may be recognised by its pro- 

 portionately longer limbs and tail, and by the colouration. It 

 is most nearly allied to Xantus's Lizard. 



Colouration. Light, pinkish gray, with two rows of large, 

 purplish brown spots, which are separated by narrow lines of 

 ground-colour. The tail is similarly marked with smaller spots 

 these farther apart. 



Dimensions. Total length, 4! inches; tail, 2| inches. 



Distribution. One specimen known ; from Tejon Pass, south- 

 ern California. ^ 



Gilbert's Lizard, Xantusia gilberti, Van Denburgfi, has a 

 scalation rather similar to the preceding species, but there are 

 two frontal plates, instead of a single frontal. The eye is much 

 smaller than that of the preceding. 



Colouration. Above dark, brownish clay colour, dotted 

 with black on single scales or granules. A pale brownish band, 

 the width of two scales or granules, extends backward on each 

 side of the neck, from the head shields; it becomes obscure on 



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