OCR Text |
Show 86^ APPENDIX C.-? RBPTII£ 3. ft two posterior angles of the vertex, instead of being acute, as in Phr. dquglasri, are rounded, wtyhqut any prominent knob or spine. Along the superciliary ridge which overlaps the eyes, the plates are the largest, at least, five of them, there being two very Small ones nearly above the middle of, the eye. The occipital area exhibits three subeircuTar plates in its centre, larger than the surrounding ones. A group of large'Subspinous { dates is likewise observed at the, base and in advance of the occipital spines. The plates on the snout and along the upper jaw- are small and inconspicuous, except the marginal row, on account of an acute projection, of each of them. The nope is flattened to excess, slightly contave, and the nostrils ate situated at the* inside of the superciliary ridge; thus placed. in front ( fig, 4). The eyes are circular. !£ he lower jaw.* wants the first row of large plates which we have seen in JPhr. douglai& ii, but the one which exists is' so much more developed than in the latter, and composed of six very Conspicuous plates on each side and two. small on^ s ( fig. 2 and 3). Between this row of plates and the margin of tie jaw there is aft area, covered, on, its anterior portion, with two, and, near - the angle of the mouth, with three rows of small and polygonal scales. On the lower surface of the head, from the chin- to the throat, the scales are small and irregular; on the sides, however, and only for the posterior half of that distance, a row of from five to seven acute- edged scales may be seen. - The folds of the, neck. do not exhibit anything peculiar under th6 throat, but, on the sides and behind the ear, they are surmounted with pyramidal and raised scales. The auditory aperture is comparatively small- much smaller than in Phr. dougkmii. The pyramidal and raised scales of the back are but little prominent. There is but one abdominal seriqs of the latter, as in PA. douglatrii, originating behind the fore legs, but not extending so far - backward as in others. The plates in the post- Anal groove form two rows, the first composed of six, the second and posterior one of four only. The femoral pores are but few, from six to seven oi* each side,' and quite distant from' each other. • The head and tail are brown* above, the upper part of the body ash- coloured; yellowish find unicolor below. On the sides of the necl$ is a large patch of black,' and two, similar- ones, but narrow and undulating, on the back. Faint indications of transverse bands of blaek are observed on the tail. Collected by Captain JStansbury about the Great Salt Lake. |