180 THE HERPETOLOGY OF CUBA. 



tibia two rows of plates, those of the outer rows enormously enlarged; upper 

 side of the wrist with a regular series of transverse plates corresponding to the 

 inner and outer metatarsals; outer toe extending approximately as far as the 

 inner; tail covered with straight scales with keels; about thirty-five scales in 

 the fifteenth ring from the base. 



Colour (in Ufe) : — Ground-colour of dorsal surface olivaceous brown, 

 slightly reddish anteriorly, grayer on the tail; three poorly defined narrow 

 stripes of a Ughter colour on the back ; the two lateral stripes bordered on their 

 outer side by a series of broad, dark brown spots which tend to become con- 

 fluent; the same two outer pale stripes are bordered on their inner side by a 

 poorly defined and much Ughter series of similar dark spots; flanks, sides of 

 head, sides and upper surfaces of the tail and appendages covered with a net- 

 work of irregular brown patches; ventral surface straw-colour; traces of the 

 same colour on the head-shields. 



In this species the females show almost exactly the same colouration as 

 the males. There is, however, considerable individual variation in the exten- 

 sion and distinctness of the dorsal stripes. There is also some variation in the 

 distance by which the gular scales are separated by granules. 



The Cuban Ameiva is found everywhere in the Island except in the swampy 

 regions, especially back of sandy beaches. We have examined and compared 

 examples from Guane, Cojimar, San Diego de los Bafios, Bahia Honda, Cien- 

 fuegos, Camaguey, Santiago, and Guantanamo. No examples were ever ob- 

 served in the Zapata swamp, nor in similar regions such as the swampy coastal 

 plain from Palo Alto near Jucaro to the Estero de Juan Hernandez. 



Since this Uzard is extremely shy and correspondingly quick in hiding, it 

 is not seen moving about as often as its abundance would warrant. It is gen- 

 erally found under stones or such rubbish as fallen palm fans and logs, which 

 provide suitable hiding places. Occasionally, however, they may be seen crawl- 

 ing about, usually in the dryest and most sunbaked places, with decorous pre- 

 occupation and leisurely picking up ants. In the spring of 1909 they were really 

 abundant on the hot stretches of cinders and ballast along the line of the Cuban 

 railway, just west of the city of Camagiiey and a number could be seen there 

 any day when the sun was high. 



