HERPETOLOGY OF LOWER CALIFORNIA. 



131 



Verticaria hyperythra beldingi (Stejn.) 



Veriicaria beldingi. 



1894, Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., p. 17. 



Ninety - eight Verticarias from the "Cape Region" of 

 Lower California, and thirty-eight (including one of the 

 specimens upon which V. beldingi was established) from 

 northern Lower California and San Diego County, Cal- 

 ifornia, have been examined with a view to determining 

 the status of this form. The character originally depended 

 upon for the distinction of V. belditigiixova V. hy^ei'ythra, 

 viz., the small size of the scales on the collar in V. bel- 

 dingi, was found to be valueless, since many of the north- 

 ern specimens have these scales as large as in individuals 

 collected near Cape San Lucas, and since much individ- 

 ual variation exists in both. There appears to be not 

 even an average difference, in this respect, between the 

 northern and southern forms. The difference in the ex- 

 tent to which granules intrude between the supraoculars 

 and the large medial head plates, seems, however, to pre- 

 sent a good average distinction between the two forms, 

 as is shown in the following table : 





Number of Specimens of 





hyperythr a. 



beldingi. 



Second supraocular separated from median 

 head scales 



3 



5 

 8 



82 



20 



Second supraocular partly separated 



15 



Third supraocular separated 







Third supraocular partly separated 



3 







Total number examined 



98 



38 







As this difference is merely an average one, it becomes 

 necessary to regard V. beldingi as a subspecies of V. 

 hyperythra. A trinomial is therefore used. 



