360 S A U R 1 A. 



On the sides of the abdomen, the scales are irregularly rounded, sub- 

 tuberculous, or subcarinated, and smaller than those of the dorsal 

 region, which are distinctly, though moderately, carinated, and poste- 

 riorly obtuse. The upper surface of the limbs, and the inferior surface 

 of the arm, are covered with scales similar in shape and structure to 

 those on the back ; on the palm of the hands and the sole of the feet, 

 they are much smaller, posteriorly acute, and distinctly carinated; 

 around the fingers and toes, they constitute irregular verticils : the 

 superior ones varying more in size, and are less distinctly carinated 

 than the inferior. The inner or first finger is the smallest; the outer- 

 most is the next in length ; then the second ; the third is nearly as 

 long as the fourth, which is the longest. The nails are rather short, 

 compressed, acerated, and gently curved. The first toe is the smallest; 

 the second is the next in length ; then the fifth ; then the third ; the 

 fourth being the longest. Their nails do not difier materially from 

 those at the fingers. The scales which cover the tail are most conspi- 

 cuous of all; they constitute oblique series upon the base of that organ, 

 and annular rows further backwards. The oblique series have the 

 same shape as those on the back. Those constituting the annular 

 rows or verticils are superiorly subquadrangular and elongated, with 

 an oblique keel, whilst beneath, they become much narrower, poste- 

 riorly acute, with a straight keel along their middle region. 



The ground color is blackish-brown in the male, and greenish-brown 

 in the female. In either sex, there are two parallel series of transverse 

 black spots, convex anteriorly, white-margined, with a whitish, or else 

 a lighter tint along their concavity. These spots, however, are more 

 conspicuous in the female than in the male ; they may be traced from 

 the head, on each side of the dorsal region, to the posterior extremity 

 of the body, where the series, from either side, combine more or less 

 into one, and, as such, extends along the upper region of the tail. 

 The limbs, as well as the tail, are transversely barred with black. In 

 the female, the dorsal region and the flanks are either dotted with 

 black or spotted with whitish ; whilst in the male, the spots are either 

 bluish, reddish, or else of a metallic green, especially on the neck. The 

 upper surface and sides of the head are spotted with different shades 

 of black, or dotted with yellow and black. The occipital region and 

 the back, in the male, occasionally exhibit sinuating black lines upon 

 a brownish ground, over which are bluish, greenish, or slate-colored 

 spots. Beneath, the ground color is whitish, vermiculated, maculated, 



