390 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



A. LACERTILTA 



Lizards 

 Long-tailed reptiles, covered with scales ; usually with four limbs- 

 terminating in claws. The young undergo no metamorphosis, being 

 hatched from the egg in a form resembling the parent. Lizards 

 prefer warm climates and but three species are found within our 

 limits, two being fairly common, while the other is recorded only 

 once from this state. 



1 Sceloporus undulatus Latreille 



Common lizard, swift, fence lizard, pine lizard 



De Kay 1 . Tropidolepis undulatus, the brown swift, p. 31, pi. 8, fig. 16 



Brownish olive or gray, with black, wavy, Y shaped bands on 

 each side ; throat and sides of belly in male, blue with a black edg- 

 ing. Length 7 inches. 



Its eggs, which are long and narrow, are laid in the sand about 

 June 1 and hatched about July 10. 



Found in southern part of the state. Yery rapid in its move- 

 ments, and frequently found under bark of decayed trees. It 

 chooses old fences as its basking places. 



2 Eumeces quinquelineatus Linn. 



Blue-tailed lizard 



DeKay. Scincus fasciatus, blue-tailed lizard, "scorpion," p. 29, pi. 8, 



fig. 17 

 Color variable, but usually olive with five yellowish streaks, the 

 middle one forking on the head ; tail bright blue. Old specimens- 

 become reddish and stripes grow fainter and may disappear. Length 

 8-11 inches. 



Found in the southern part of the state; lives on the ground; is 

 very active ; it readily parts with a portion of its tail when an 

 attempt is made to capture it. 



3 Liolepisma laterale Say 



Ground lizard, 

 Upper parts of head and body reddish olive ; on each side a black 

 stripe ; the sides below this lateral band striped alternately dusky 



1 References to De Kay under the different species refer to the Zoology of New- 

 York, Reptiles and amphibia, v. 3, text; v. 4, plates, by James E v De Kay, 1842- 



