12. SCELOPORUS 307 



on each thigh. Seven to 1 1 dorsal scales equaling length of 

 shielded part of head. Number of scales in a row from inter- 

 parietal plate to a line connecting posterior surfaces of thighs 

 varying from 35 to 44 - y average in 30 specimens, 40.2. Males 

 with enlarged postanal plates. 



The back is brown, olive, or grayish buff, marked with 

 large blotches or undulate cross-bands of dark-brown, and 

 more or less dotted, spotted or blotched with green or pale 

 blue. The sides are similarly colored. Above, the head is 

 brown or olive with narrow lines of dark brown, which are 

 most distinct between the eyes and on the temples. The 

 tail is olive or brown with irregular dark brown rings. All 

 the lower surfaces are grayish or yellowish white, often 

 suffused with slate or dull black. Along each side of the 

 belly is a large patch of deep blue, usually bordered intern- 

 ally by a black band of varying width. Males have one 

 large central throat-patch of deep blue, but females may 

 have two lateral patches. The posterior surfaces of the 

 limbs are yellow. 



The coloration of specimens from northeastern Nevada 

 is described by Ruthven and Gaige, as follows: "In no 

 specimen is there more than one gular spot, the females all 

 have bluish abdominal spots, and the posterior side of the 

 thighs (particularly along the femoral pores) and the pos- 

 terior side of the f orelimbs are nearly always bright orange 

 yellow. With age the dorsal spots, generally very distinct 

 in the young, tend to become less distinct,, and in very old 

 specimens may be quite obscure, but they are generally dis- 

 cernible even in the old individuals. The white of the ven- 

 tral parts is nearly always more or less spotted or suffused 

 with black in the males and with grayish slate in the females, 

 but the extent of maculation is very variable and not plainly 

 influenced by age. The abdominal spots vary from a deep 

 greenish blue to a pale bluish in the males 5 in the females 



