1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 135 



than the irregular arrangement figured by Cope.^^ One specimen — 

 the largest — agreed with Cope's specimen (No. 9,234, U. S. N. M.) 

 in this respect. A variation was also noted in the plates of the 

 mental region. Cope's figure (ibid.) shows two unpaired plates 

 posterior to the mental. Of the specimens taken in the swamp, 

 just half of the number collected conformed to this arrangement, 

 while the other half showed only one unpaired plate between the 

 mental and the first pair of inferior labials. 



It can hardly escape the notice of the herpetologist that these 

 peculiarities (the single postmental plate and the two occipital 

 plates) here noted as variations of P. quinquelineatus are, except 

 for the postnasal, among the chief structural characters usually 

 given for the species P. anthracinus Baird, and the single or double 

 postmental enters into Cope's four main divisions of the genus. 

 Normally, one would expect two postmentals in P. quinquelineatus, 

 and it so proves by examination of a large series of extra-Okefinokee 

 specimens from other parts of southeastern United States, but this 

 single postmental in the Okefinokee specimens is not limited to 

 small forms, as are most of the supposed species with single post- 

 mentals. The largest red-headed specimen (No. 6,339) has this 

 character, and another good-sized individual has only one post- 

 mental, but there is on one side of this plate the merest beginning 

 of a suture to suggest where the subdivision might come if it were 

 to be. We suppose Cope would be obliged to make these "post- 

 nasal — one postmental" specimens members of his first division, 

 in which he places his Bermudan species, E. lofigirostris, but we could 

 hardly grant such a solution, and this restricted collection of Oke- 

 finokee skinks prompts a doubt of the actual rank of E. longirostris 

 and possibly of E. anthracinus and E. pluvialis, or, in other words, 

 we have our specimens referable to two of Cope's four main groups 

 for the genus, and if the postnasal character be proven variable this 

 P. quinquelineatus may yet offer variants referable to the other two 

 divisions. Certainly, the status of the species of Plestiodon is in a 

 most unsatisfactory state at the present time. 



The species P. quinquelineatus ranges through a wide series of 

 coloration during life, particularly as pertains to the stripes and 

 markings. The same bands appear in some specimens as are found 

 in P. anthracinus, vnih. a difference only in colors and brilliancy. 

 Since the structural plate characters overlap, as has been noted 



13 Rept. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1898, p. 634, fig. 125. 



