NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 497 



count of the color: Above light yellowish brown, with a series of five sub- 

 quadrate ochraceous dorsal spots. Top of the head and two bands converging 

 posteriorly from the superior borders of the orbits, with variations upon the 

 side of the body and neck, of the same ochraceous tint. In the female the 

 dorsal spots are connected by dark ashy reticulations ; the dark shade is also 

 prevalent above each axilla, and as a band extending posterior to the orbit. 

 Beneath pale, unicolor. 



This species is not mentioned by Mr. Gosse in his interesting volume on 

 Jamaica; it cannot, however, be uncommon in the island. The locality, Nica- 

 ragua, assigned by Dr. Hallowell at p. 480 of these Proceedings for 1860, is 

 scarcely likely to prove a correct one. 



A. 1 ar, Cope. 



Size rather large, head broad, massive. Tailto vent equal to one and one-half 

 times the length of the head and body to vent. Anterior mandibular teeth longer 

 than the median. Superior labials eight, the last beneath the orbit, succeeded 

 by but one supplementary. Inferior eight, the posterior small. Symphyseal 

 plate large, slightly truncate, bordered beneath the labials on each side by a 

 large diagonal shield, which is the first of a diminishing series of four. Gu- 

 lar and dorsal regions granulated, the latter very coarsely; inferior faces of 

 the extremities and thoracic and abdominal regions scaled in about thirty- 

 two longitudinal series upon the latter. About twenty-one lamella? beneath 

 the penultimate posterior digit. Auricular opening large, the distance from 

 its posterior border to that of the orbit equal to the breadth between the orbits. 



Color above grey, with numerous brown spots, especially upon the scapular 

 and ischiadic regions. Crown and front dark; labial region varied. An 

 indistinct brown band extends posteriorly from the orbit, bordered below by 

 a pale one, not more visible. 



Length from muzzle to vent 5 inches ; from vent to end of tail 7 inches 9 

 lines. 



Discovered near Jeremie, Hayti, by Dr. Weinland. Lent to the author by 

 Prof. Louis Agassiz, Mus. Compar. Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. (No. 1504.) 



This species attains a size equal to that of any Thecadactylus rapicaudus 

 which I have seen. It considerably exceeds the T. p r a es ig n i s. The pro- 

 portions of the teeth, the number of subdigital lamellae, as well as the colora- 

 tion, serve also to distinguish it from the latter. 



Sph/Erodactylus, Cuvier. 



Eleven species of this genus are known to me through examination of speci- 

 mens, and one (S. fantasticus) from the description of Dumeril and 

 Bibron. Au additional species (S. nigropunctatus) has been described 

 by Dr. Gray, and a fourteenth (S. 1 i neo 1 atu s) i? said to have been pub- 

 lished. The last two are South American : the description of the first is too 

 imperfect to permit it3 identification : that of the last is quoted from Lichten- 

 stein and Von Marten's Nomenclator Reptilium Mus. Zool. Berolin., a work 

 which Dr. Giinther calls "printed, but not published." 



Cuvier (Regne Animal) states that these animals possess retractile claws : 

 the same statement is made by Dr. Gray in his Synopsis of Reptiles, in Grif- 

 fith's edition of the same work. Mr. Gosse informs us that the S. richar d- 

 sonii protrudes at will a sheathed claw from the inner side of the digital 

 pallet, (Nat. Soj. in Jamaica, p. 255.) Dumeril and Bibron assert (vol. Hi., p* 

 401, 1836) that claws are wanting, which is confirmed by a similar statement 

 made by Dr. Gray in the Catalogue of Lizards in the British Museum. MM. 

 Cocteau and Bibron, in De la Sagra's Cuba, express the following opinion : 

 " On a dit qu'ils etaient completement prives d'ongles ; cependant un examen 

 attentif de 1 extremite des doigts, fait voir que la derniere phalange est revetue 

 d'un ecaille sur laquelle se retrouve en relief la forme d'un ongle crochu dont 



1861.] 33 



