TTTE IJATFtArHIA OI' NolMII AMI'.IMCA. 



79 



I 



"'' 



The duiriU'tern of llui xiirii'tv (Mliforniciisii (Amhli/slDinn cnlifoi niennv 

 dray) aro as I'ollows: 



The proportions ami j;«'H('ral (;liat'a(;trr of \\w f^lands, pits, etc., ajuxMr 

 liilicli lik«'! tlios<' of vl. //</»•/»»/» ; ill soiiKMt'spccits ol' .1. ;j»//{/ff/«;H. I 

 do not <h'to<!t any patches ot' lai}j;(' pon-s on the top of thi' head and 

 nock in one speciiiien, hnt in another a series of hir},'e whitish dots he- 

 neatli the epidermis seems to indicate their presence. Of these one 

 patch is phieed on top of the liead, within tlie orbit; another on thc^ 

 parotid rej^ioii. Some pores, however, are distimitly visihh". behind tlie 

 aiifjle of the mouth, sending forward a seiies ah)!i;; the iiMrj^in of tlie 

 lower jaw under the tdiiii. 



The head is broad, but also h)nj,', the width beiiiji" decidedly less than 

 the distance from snout t(» {^idar fohl. Tlie yape is very lai'ije, the 

 len}i;th nearly two-thirds the width. The width in seven spi'cimens is 

 contained \h tinn's in the distance (rom snout to fjroiii ; in one s[)eciineii 

 4 times only. The eyes are separated only by 'IK lengths of tlu^ (U'bit. 



The t(Hi;.'ue is very larj,fe, nearly lillintj the whole lower jaw. It is 

 three fourths the widtii of the head. 



There is quite a dill'erence in the character of the palatine teeth of 

 the ten specimens before nie. In both the central jtart of the series lb. ms 

 a decided V> ('>*' nii;;le siiarp, and reaching to tlie anterior margin ot 

 the inner nostrils. The limbs extend backwards, sli^'htly in an 3 shapi', 

 a slnu't distance behind the inner nostrils and in line with their inner 

 border, and then connect with the external sc^nieiils of the jialatine 

 series, which extend (iie.irly transversely, but a little obliipiely back 

 wards) to a line with the outer iiiarj;iii of the inner nostrils. In both 

 specimens the two sides (»f tliepalariiie seiies a;e lui synimetrical and 

 of niieqnal It'll j^tli. One specimen shows a distinct interval bet ween 

 the central V i"i<l <''<' hiteral sejiiiieiif. as well as at the an;;ie of the V; 

 ill the other the four elements are contiiiiioiis. 



Then' appear to be twelve costal furrows. The tail is compressed, but 

 not lii;;h; in one specimen it isas loii;i as head and body; in another 

 »Ii(»rt»'r. Shows a slmrp rid^i'c above from near the base ;i!id for the 

 terminal half below in oii(> spetamcn; not so much in another. 



The limbs are well developed, the di;;its depres.sed ami trianj^ular, 

 but le.ss so than in many atpiatic Anihlii-stnindfa, 



The (M»lor of the sjiecies is blackish in alctihol ; rather i)aler below. 

 On each side i>\' the belly or lower part ol tin' sides of body and tail is 

 a series of brij;lit sulphur yellow spots, mostly nearly circular, .some- 

 times obloii;;, and varyiii}? in size, tlioiin;|| ^jcnerally lar<;er than the 

 orbit. The spots are few in number: live or six from h.ead to tail and 

 four or live on the side of tail. 



In one of the specimens aresume smaller rounded spots on each side 

 of tlu^ diir.sal line, three or four in each series. These are not syui- 

 nuitrically dispo.sed, as in .1. pKiicfdlinn. 



As Dr. Gray remarks, this variety lias a certain resemblance exter- 



i-^lC 



;> 



F ^ 



