344 APPENDIX C. — REPTILES. 



The colour, according to a drawing made from life bj an artist 

 of great merit, Mr. William H. Tappan, while on the River Platte 

 in 1848, is olivaceous brown, slightly violaceous on the .sides of 

 the head. On each side of the body there are two, sometimes 

 three oblong spots, of a deep black ; and on the body two rows of 

 quite large, irregular blackish-brown patches, with a band of a 

 lighter colour between each row. There is an indication of a third 

 row of these patches, less apparent, however, in the male, in which 

 again we find two orange-red lines, the uppermost extending to 

 the end of the snout in passing over the eye ; the other fol- 

 lows the lower jaw. In advance of the eyes the orange hue of 

 these lines passes into brighter yellow. 



This species inhabits the valley of the Platte River, as collected 

 there by W. H. Tappan. We have received several specimens 

 from Texas, collected by General Churchill, one of which is the 

 original from which the accompanying drawings have been made. 

 The individual represented is a female. 



Genus Uta, Baird and Girard. 



Gen. char. — Upper part of body covered with minute scales; a pectoral fold; 

 auditory apertures ; femoral pores, but no anal ones. 



The genus which we now establish will not fail to attract the 

 attention of herpetologists, having a relation to both Sceloporus 

 and Holhrookia. The former genus it resembles in having the 

 upper surface of the head covered with similar scales, and in being 

 provided with auditory apertures. On the other hand, the body is 

 covered with scales, like those in Holhrookia, while on the tail they 

 are much large than in any of the above genera, thus contrasting 

 greatly with those of the back. The genus Uta, moreover, has a 

 subgular fold of skin, constituting a neck-ring similar to that in 

 Holhrookia. Its elongated tail would recall to mind the genus Cro- 

 taphytus, were not the palatine teeth absent. Femoral pores 

 exist, while anal ones are wanting. 



Besides the species described below, this genus embraces two 

 others, one of which is entirely new to science, and was sent in by 

 Colonel J. D. Graham from the boundary-line, and which we call 

 Uta ornata ; while the other was described as a Seeloporus, and first 

 as a mere variety of S. grammicus, afterward, however, separated 

 under the specific name of S. mierolepidotus. The minuteness of 



