2. Sceloporus becki sp. nov.
Plate IV.
The Sceloporus of the mainland at Santa Barbara is the ordinary S. occidentalis; that is to say, it is the smaller form with a complete series of scales between the large supraoculars and the median head plates, with from thirty-five to forty-six dorsal scales between the interparietal plate and the back of the thighs, with keeled scales on the back of the thigh, and with two blue patches on the throat. Five specimens from San Miguel Island resemble this species closely in size, but are more nearly like S. biseriatus in coloration, and differ from both in the possession of certain characters most unusual in a member of the S. undulatus group. I take pleasure in naming this island form in honor of Mr. R. H. Beck, who collected the specimens.
Diagnosis.—Frontal and parietal plates separated from enlarged supraoculars by a series of small scales or granules; frontoparietal plate in contact with enlarged supraoculars; scales on back of thigh smaller than those in front of anus; 43-48 dorsals between interparietal and back of thighs; scales on back of thigh keeled; whole throat and chin blue crossed by diagonal black lines which unite posteriorly with a large black patch extending across throat from shoulder to shoulder.
Type.—Adult male, Cal. Acad. Sci. No. 4537, San Miguel Island, California, R. H. Beck, March 26, 1903.
Description.—Head and body little depressed; nostril opening much nearer to end of snout than to orbit; upper head shields smooth, moderately large and slightly convex, interparietal largest; frontal divided transversely; parietal and frontal plates separated from enlarged supraoculars by a series of small plates or granules; frontoparietal in contact with enlarged supraoculars; superciliaries long and strongly imbricate; middle subocular very long, narrow and strongly keeled; rostral plate of moderate height but great width; labials long, low and nearly rectangular; symphyseal large and pentangular; some series of enlarged sublabials; gulars smooth, imbricate, often emarginate posteriorly; ear-opening large, slightly oblique, with anterior denticulation of smooth acuminate scales; scales on back equal-sized, keeled, mucronate with slight denticulation, and arranged in nearly parallel longitudinal rows; lateral scales smaller and directed obliquely upward; upper and anterior surfaces of limbs with strongly keeled and mucronate scales; posterior surface of thigh with small, acuminate, keeled scales; ventral scales much smaller than dorsals, smooth, imbricate, and usually bicuspid; tail furnished with slightly irregular whorls of strongly keeled and pointed scales which are much larger and rougher above than below, where they are smooth proximally; femoral pores 14-16; 9-12 dorsal scales equaling length of shielded part of head; number of scales in a row between interparietal plate and a line connecting posterior surfaces of thighs varying from 43-48; males with enlarged postanal plates.
The color above is grayish, brownish, or greenish blue, with a series of dark brown blotches on each side of the back. A pale longitudinal band separates the dorsal from the lateral regions. The sides are brownish or grayish, mottled with darker brown and dotted or suffused with green or pale blue. The head is usually crossed by narrow brown lines, more or less irregular in distribution. A brown line connects the orbit and upper corner of the ear, and is continued backward on the neck. There is a large blue patch on each side of the belly, bordered internally with black in highly colored males. The chin and throat are blue, pale anteriorly and changing to black posteriorly, crossed by narrow oblique black lines which converge posteriorly and blend with the black patches on the throat and in front of the shoulders in males. There is a white patch at each side of the anus, and a yellowish white band along the series of femoral pores.
Length to anus 64 66 70 70[3] Length of tail 76 68 78 79 Snout to ear 14 13 14 16 Width of head 14 12 14 15 Shielded part of head 14 13 14 15 Fore limb 27 26 27 30 Hind limb 41 39 41 46 Base of fifth to end of fourth toe 16 15 16 18
| Length to anus | 64 | 66 | 70 | 70[3] |
| Length of tail | 76 | 68 | 78 | 79 |
| Snout to ear | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
| Width of head | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Shielded part of head | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Fore limb | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 |
| Hind limb | 41 | 39 | 41 | 46 |
| Base of fifth to end of fourth toe | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
This species is in general appearance similar to S. occidentalis, but differs in the contact of the frontoparietal and supraocular shields, the coloration of the throat, and the somewhat more feeble carination and mucronation of its dorsal and caudal scales. Specimens from Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands, as stated below, seem to show that this form has been developed from S. biseriatus stock.
Five specimens (Nos. 4534-4538) in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences were secured by Mr. R. H. Beck on San Miguel Island, March 26, 1903.
3. Gerrhonotus scincicauda Skilton.
One specimen (Cal. Acad. Sci. No. 4539) was taken by Mr. Beck on San Miguel Island, March 26, 1903. It has dorsals in 14-1/2 × 49 rows, temporals smooth, scales on arm and forearm smooth, and dark ventral lines along the middles of the scale rows. It seems to differ from the Santa Rosa Island specimens only in the slightly more feeble carination of the scales generally, the small size of the azygous prefrontal and of the scales on the under surface of the forearm, and a tendency toward the formation of fourteen rows of ventral scales shown by the presence of a few small scales along the edge of each lateral fold in addition to the usual twelve longitudinal rows. There are sixty-six ventrals in a row between the chin and the anus.