1898.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 105 



Hemidactylus, Mabuia* and the species of Placosoma, Heterodactijlus, 

 etc. 



As future studies may modify these results it is sufficient here 

 merely to touch on the problems of distribution. In general we 

 have besides the more widely distributed forms to distinguish (1) 

 forms of the littoral of Brazil, and (2) forms of the Paraguay valley, 

 extending to Brazil. 



I have already mentioned the former group. We can subdivide 

 it into species developed principally to the north or to the south of 

 the tropic of Capricorn. Pantodactylus schreibersi has not hitherto 

 been found north of Sao Paulo; Diploglosms fasciatus is a Bahia 

 form, which I have received from Rio Janeiro and Santos. There 

 are many other species not represented in the interior of Sao Paulo, 

 which extend in the coast end of Santos and further southward. 

 Santos is situated on the ocean, S. Paulo 40 miles higher ; the 

 annual temperature of Santos, Iguape, being 21,5°, of S. Paulo 18,3° 

 centigrade. 



Thus it is quite natural that in the lowland between the ocean' 

 and the coast range, the Bahia fauna extends much farther south 

 than in the interior. It seems probable that Amphisbcena alba, Placo- 

 soma cordylinum, etc. are governed by the same condition, and this 

 will be much more evident from the numerous north Brazilian types 

 represented in our collections from Santos and Raiz da Serra. But 

 I can refer to another instructive instance: One of the character- 

 istic families of the subtropical zone is that of the Boidce, represented 

 in Bahia by four species of which only Epicrates cenchris does not 

 seem to reach Rio. Eunectes murinus is common in the interior of 

 S. Paulo and extends to the south of St. Catharina as I have ex- 

 amined a skin from Laguna. It is gradually disappearing, and was 

 once represented also in Rio Grande do Sul, as I believe Boa con- 

 strictor, not rare in the interior of Sao Paulo, does not occur in Rio 

 Grande do Sul. I very much doubt the record " Buenos Ayres" in 

 Boulenger's Catalogue. Species of Boa and Eunectes also occur in 

 Paraguay but they are perhaps not exactly determined, and may 

 be mere varieties of the eastern species. 



I have received specimens of Carollas caninus L. from Rio and 

 from Santos. 



4 This exists in St. Catharina and perhaps the north of Kio Grande do Sul, 

 but has not hitherto been found in Kio Grande. 



8 



