122 THE HERPETOLOGY OF CUBA. 



Sphaerodadylus elegans, a very well-named species, does not vary in colom- 

 in the manner of so many other Sphaerodactyh. To be sure there is some 

 variation in the breadth and mtensity of the bands but the species is easily 

 determined by its markings and its minute size. It is probably the smallest 

 known reptile. 



It is not a rare species but it is one which we have but very rarely found 

 outside of houses. Perhaps because it is so much more easily seen on a smooth 

 white wall than in wilder surroundings. It spends its time by day behind 

 furniture, books, and pictures and sallies forth when dusk comes, scurrying 

 about after its prey of tiny insects. Dr. Faxon suggests its native name is 

 probably due to the fact that it is found commonly behind pictures and in 

 Cuba pictures of the Virgin are often the only ones in the poorer houses. 



While elegans seems to be found in Haiti we cannot find any record for its 

 occurrence in the Province of Oriente in Cuba. The M. C. Z. has specimens 

 from San Diego de los Baiios, Santiago de la Vega, Remedies, Caibarien and 

 other western localities as well as from the Island of Pines. 



Stejneger (Proc. U. S. N. M., 31 May, 1917, 53, p. 266) calls attention to 

 the fact that this lizard, usually credited to Reinhardt and Liitken, should be 

 ascribed to MacLeay. 



18. Sphaerodactylus cinereus MacLeay. 

 Plate 2, fig. 4. 

 Salamanquita. 



Diagnosis: — A rather large Sphaerodactylus with granular dorsal scales, 

 much larger smooth ventrals. Ashy or dusky gray in colour finely dotted with 

 white except about the region of the head and neck, which is finely vermiculate. 



Description: — Adult M. C. Z. 7,916. Cuba: San Diego de los Banos, 

 April, 1910. Thomas Barbour. 



Snout rather flat and pointed, the distance from the tip to the eye being 

 slightly longer than the distance from the eye to the ear opening ; rostral moder- 

 ately large with a long median cleft behind, nostril between rostral, first supra- 



