ii6 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



yellow stripes running lengthwise on the body ; the tail of such 

 specimens is usually a brilliant blue, — hence the name. Upon 

 approaching maturity the body assumes a brownish tinge, the 

 stripes become less distinct, and upon the males disappear al- 

 together, while the head takes on a tinge of red. The females 

 retain the stripes, although they are less distinct against the 

 brown body-color than in young specimens; the head of the 

 female is much narrower than the male, while the red tinge upon 

 the same is never so brilliant as in the other sex. The complete 

 color transformation takes about four years. 



FIG. 19. BLUE-TAILED LIZARD, YOUNG AND ADULT 



The female of this species deposits her eggs, to the number of 

 about a dozen, under the bark of a decaying tree, and coils about 

 the edge of the cluster in serpentine fashion imtil they hatch. 

 Large specimens of the red-headed form measure eight inches in 

 length. In the South the species grows much larger and is very 

 abundant. The adult males are called "Scorpions." 



Range: Southern Massachusetts to Florida; westward to 

 Texas. 



Local distribution: General in sunny openings of woods, but 

 not common. 



