90 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



seal brown and black. There are five black blotches on 

 the vertebral line, separated by areas paler than the gen- 

 eral tint. The first of these black markings is very 

 small; the second is broader than long; the third and 

 fourth are very large and faintly continuous with the 

 blackish brown of the ventral surfaces; the fifth is almost 

 confined to the enlarged medial scales. There are two 

 longitudinal black blotches on the side of the neck, and 

 two corresponding lines on the temple. The chin, gular 

 region, chest, and forelimbs, are blackish brown. The 

 tail has a ground color of straw yellow clouded with 

 olive, but is dull pea green on the spines, and barred with 

 seal brown terminally. ' 



Snout to vent 224 mm. Snout to ear 53 mm. Hind 

 limb 129 mm. Snout to edge of fold 76 mm. Fore 

 limb 84 mm. Highest dorsal spines 9 mm. 



Variation. — The youngest individuals (58 to 76 mm. 

 from snout to vent) are bright terre-verte green above, 

 except on the tail which has broad rings of dark olive 

 separated by narrow ones of broccoli brown. There are 

 very faint indications of dark vertebral bars. The lower 

 parts are yellowish white tinged with green. As the 

 animals increase in size, the green gradually disappears 

 and the dark markings increase in size and number until 

 the adult coloration is assumed. The number of femoral 

 pores ranges from four to eight. The dorsal crest seems 

 to be higher in the males than in the females, but is never 

 continued on the posterior part of the back. 



This species was collected by Botta in " California." 

 Xantus secured it at at Cape San Lucas, the type locality. 

 Mr. Belding found it at La Paz. 



