OCR Text |
Show APPENDIX C.- REPTILBS. 841 even to the. head. The tail is irregularly annotated with brown and yellow. Nothing is. known of the habits of the crotaphyti. " We found in the stomach of one. specimen of the C. wislizenii the remains, of a species of Cnemidophoru* allied to C. tezljneatiU. The specimen which we have had figured was caught, near Santa F6, by Dr. Wislizenus, during the Mexican war* To him we take great pleasure in dedicating it, in testimonial of his zeal for science, during the arduous duties of an army surgeon, while attached to Colonel Doniphan's command. On his return, the specimen was sent to Dr. Le Conte, and by him kindly transmitted to the Smithsonian Institution. The same species was obtained by ColonePJ. D. Graham, between San Antdnio and El Paso del Norte, while on his journey to the boundary- line, in May last. Genus HOLBROOKIA, Girard. 8711. Copho$ aurus, THOSOH. Arch. f. Natnrg. ( I860, I.) 1862. Gin. CBAB*- Hoad^ covered with small and polygonal plates. No auditory aperture, No teeth on the palatine bones. A fold of the skin on the breast. Femoral pores present, bat no anal ones. This genus was established irr 1850, upon ar small Kzard, much less remarkable in its general aspect than in its structure. In its appearance it is so similar to certain sj^ ecies of the Chilian pr. octo-treti, that at first glance no one could suppose it to be different from the latter genus. But in examining it more attentively, we find no external opening to the ears, a fact that cannot but strike the observer. There are no teeth on the palatines- another character which distinguishes Holbrookia from Proctotretus. Both . of these genera have ^ fold, under the throat, but the former has femoral pores, which are wanting in the latter. The anal pores are absent in Holbrookia, while they exist in Proctrotretu*. The genus Holbrookia will, no doubt, prove somewhat related to Crotaphytui, having, like the latter, the upper- surface of the head covered with small and polygonal plates, and well- developed femoral pores. The elongated tail of the crotaphyti, although so disproportionate when compared to Holbrookia macrrtata, will- no longer appear as a feature peculiar to the genus, so soon as we shall have an opportunity to give a description and a figure of another species of the same genus, and which'was lately collected by Mr. John H. Clark, zoologist to Colonel J. D. Graham, while in charge of the survey of the United States and Mexican boundary. |