REPTILES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY 117 



The Fence Swift, Sceloporits undiilatns (Fig. 20), common 

 everywhere in the southern United States, is very rare within a 

 radius of fifty miles of New York City. In the pine 

 forests of southern New Jersey this agile creature is e^^t^ 



particularly abundant, and may be seen darting with 

 bewildering speed along fences and fallen trees. 



FIG. 20. FENCE SWIFT 



Unlike the Blue-tailed Lizard, so conspicuous on account of 

 its shining scales, the Fence Swift presents a rough, lusterless 

 surface. The scales are keeled and terminate in sharp, spine- 

 like fashion. The body is rather broad, the head wide. In 

 color this lizard is gray or brown with a series of V-shaped 

 blotches on each side of the body ; the underside is dark-gray or 

 black with several large patches of blue. The latter patches 

 vary in intensity according to conditions of temperature and the 



