1906. 



IN MEXICAN LIZARDS. 



361 



the under surface of the tail and the whole of its terminal half all 

 round are of an orange to almost brick-red colour. The collar is 

 never dark. The chest and abdomen of old specimens, especially 

 males, are suffused with greenish or faint blue, while the basal parts 

 of the scales are blackish. After removal of the horny portion of 

 the epidermis, which is quite opaque, the scales appear entirely 

 blue-black. — The 61 mm. type-specimen is quite excei^tional ; 

 chest and belly being much mottled with black, this pigment 

 being almost preponderant on the chest. 



Upper parts : During their growth these lizards pass through 

 an extraordinaiy series of changes in their colours a,nd pattern 

 (text-figs. 69, 81, 82). 



Text-fig. 82. 



Cncmidopliorus mexieanus typlcus. 



A = Oaxaca No. 9. Third pair of stripes partly vanishing and cut across by the 



increasing pale field-patches. 

 B = Oaxaca No. 8. Third pair of stripes restricted to faint narrow traces on the 



neck. 

 C = Totolapan No. 3. Old specimen; complete!}' tiger-barred. 

 D = Oaxaca No. 16. 



Stage A. — The young, up to about 50-60 mm., possesses three 

 pairs of complete white stripes, sharply alteniating with dark 



