12. SCELOPORUS 527 



p. 220; COPE, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 32, 1887, p. 37; BOULENGER, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1897, p 95 COPE, Report U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 for 1898, 1900, p. 350, fig. 51 (part); BROWN, Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 1903, p. 546; STRECKER, Baylor Bulletin, Vol. XVIII, 

 No. 4, 1915, p. 20; STEJNEGER & BARBOUR, Check List N. Amer. 

 Amph. Kept., 1917, p. 56. 



Description. Head and body somewhat depressed. 

 Nostril opening much nearer to end of snout than to orbit. 

 Upper head-shields smooth, moderately large, and slightly 

 con vex ; interparietal much largest. Frontal usually divided 

 transversely. Parietal, frontoparietal, and frontal plates 

 separated from enlarged supraoculars by a series of small 

 plates or granules. Superciliaries long, and strongly im- 

 bricate. Middle subocular very long, narrow, and strongly 

 keeled. Rostral plate of moderate height, narrow. Labials 

 long, low, and nearly rectangular. Below lower labials and 

 behind large pentangular symphyseal, a series of plates 

 larger than gulars. Latter smooth, imbricate, and emargin- 

 ate posteriorly. Ear-opening large, slightly oblique, with 

 an anterior denticulation of smooth, acuminate scales. Scales 

 on back equal-sized, weakly keeled, shortly pointed, serrate, 

 and arranged in nearly parallel longitudinal rows. Scales 

 on sides similar to those on back, but a little smaller and 

 directed obliquely upward. No longitudinal dermal folds, 

 and no transverse fold across throat. Upper surfaces of 

 limbs provided with large, strongly keeled and mucronate 

 scales. Posterior surface of thigh with small, acuminate, 

 keeled scales. Ventral scales much smaller than dorsals, 

 smooth, imbricate, and often bicuspid. Tail furnished with 

 irregular whorls of strongly keeled and pointed scales, larger 

 and rougher above than dorsals and inferior caudals. Fem- 

 oral pores varying in number from nine to 1 8 on each thigh ; 

 average, 12.8. Five to 10 dorsal scales equalling length of 

 shielded part of head. Number of scales in a row from the 



