OCR Text |
Show 1906.] IN MEXICAN LIZARDS. 317 Posterior side of forearm covered with granules, which in three specimens are slightly enlarged towards the elbow ; in one specimen enlarged near the elbow into small polygones. Femur with 6 rows of scales, of which three extend to the knee. Femoral pores 15, 16, 17, and 18. Not only the first, but also the second, and even the third upper labicds are denticulated. The under parts are pale, with a mother-of-pearl lustre; but the coloration of the upper parts is very peculiar. There is a very broad mid-field which is uniformly brown; between it and the flanks are on either side 4 to 5 very narrow, continuous, but trembling, white lines. One of the five stripes lies below, ventrally from, the usual 1st stripe, which extends from the ear to and upon the thigh. Such an extra stripe is known in otherwise 10-striped C. deppei of Tehuantepec, while an unusually broad mid-field occurs in the 8-striped specimens of San Juan Evange-lista.- Combination of an extra stripe on the flanks with a very broad mid-field I have found in one specimen of Tequesixtlan, but in all these continental specimens the stripes are straight, well-defined lines, not wavy or trembling. Summary concerning C. deppei. When we reduce the results of the tedious examination of the 152 specimens to a few sentences, they become vague because of the great amplitude of the variations. As typical averages may be mentioned:- Supraoculars 3, exceptionally 4, bordered behind by only one narrow strip of elongated granules. Collar complete, the large rows of scales mostly reaching right across ; posterior border with or without granules. Throat very rarely with a central cluster of larger scales. Front of humerus with 3, 4, or 5 larger rows. Posterior side of forearm covered with granules. Anterior aspect of thigh with 4| to rarely 8 rows, mostly 6, the three largest of which reach down to the knee. Femoral pores 14-22 of rare occurrence, usually 17-18. Coloration.-Adult males with blue-black chest and belly. Under surface of tail blue and white. Upper surface always striped : 7-11 stripes, of which the first, rarely also the second, may dissolve into beads. White spots appear occasionally in the lateral field and in field I. The under parts of females are never black or blue, neither collar nor belly. As a rule, with very few exceptions, the first stripe extends upon the thigh, and reappears on its posterior side as an unbroken white streak. Size.-Distinctly small, very rarely surpassing 80 m m. Each of the four main districts, in which I have personally |