THE GElSrUS CNEMIDOPIIOEUS. 35 



The adult differs from the young in color, and its colors may be best understood 

 by reference to the latter. In this stage the ground color of the back and sides is 

 black or blackish olive, and it is transversed by two light yellowish stripes on each 

 side. One of these starts at the occipital plate, and the other at the superciliary 

 angle. The lateral stripe which extends from above the auricular meatus in the C t. 

 perplexus is here wanting. There is sometimes a trace of a median dorsal stripe, but 

 generally not. Faint longitudinal lines are sometimes present between the stripes 

 mentioned. On the sides below the external stripe are three series of more or less 

 longitudinal spots, which outline three stripes ; but they are not connected, excepting 

 sometimes in the transverse direction. This stage represents the C gracilis B. & G. 



In mature specimens rounded spots appear between the longitudinal stripes, and 

 the lateral spots become connected transversely so as to leave the dark ground color 

 in the form of irregular transverse bars (N^os. 3017, 4:970 and 15,619). In some 

 specimens the median dorsal stripe is distinct, and is even divided into two (IS^o. 

 11,978). Such specimens have six stripes very close together, but only the external 

 pair on each side are homologues of those of the C. sexUneatus and C gularis. In 

 the majority of adult specimens the light spots expand transversely and produce an 

 emargination on one side or the other of the black ground, or cut it into sections or 

 spots, by expanding in both directions. In the former case the dark stripes become 

 irregular or undulate in outline. This is the usual condition on the anterior part 

 of the body. On the posterior part of the body the dark ground is usually 

 broken into spots. In the type specimen of the C tigrls B. & Gr. the breaking up 

 of the black intervals had not been completed, although the specimen is of full size. 

 In typical specimens this part of the body is marked by three longitudinal rows of 

 transverse black spots. The upper surface of the tail is generally marked with brown 

 spots, sometimes rather large, but in other specimens confined to the keels of the 

 scales. In some they are wanting. 



In the last modification the traces of stripes have almost or quite disappeared. 

 The upper pair are first to be interrupted by transverse and oblique extensions of the 

 irregularly shaped black spots, and the inferior stripes are finally interrupted and 

 lost in the same manner. Thus in IS'os. 8633 and 304Sa, the spots are transversely 

 confluent in every direction, bearing only irregular areas of the white color, now be- 

 come the ground. These approach nearest to the C. variolosus m., and represent 

 the C. marmoratus of Baird and Grirard. In the type of that supposed species a 

 trace of the inferior stripe remains on each side. The end of the fourth toe of the 

 extended posterior foot reaches the meatus auditorius, and there are twenty femoral 



