INTRODUCTION. 225 



walls and floors are more easily caught even if not more abundant than when 

 they have to be picked out from among the small pebbles and grass-blades of 

 out-of-doors where they may hide so easily. It is at least as hard for the little 

 sphaerodactyl to force its way through standing grass in quest of its prey as it is 

 for a man to push his way through a bamboo thicket after a larger quarry. So 

 ants coming into houses, the appearance of the Hzards is a natural sequel. As 

 for enemies they probably have but few, therefore one wonders why they do not 

 fairly swarm. It is entirely possible that the abundant and bold predacious 

 arachnids which also favour houses as temporary dwelling places, may make 

 away with them. The great hairy spiders, Aviculariidae, are held in certain 

 awe by all small wanderers whether warm or cold blooded. 



Key to the Species. 



A' Dorsals granular. 



a' Dorsal scales granular, not sharply keeled, 

 b' Granules enlarged upon the flanks. 



c' Distinctly enlarged, 9 cross-banded, cf unicolor with yellow tail . decoratui 

 c' Granules of flanks slightly enlarged. 



d' Usuallj' heavily spotted, head deep, short, snout obtuse . . . gibbus 

 d- cf usually faintly and 9 usually conspicuously cross-banded, 



head usually more pointed, snout generally acute torrei 



h'' Granules homogeneous. 



c' Granules very small, about 25 equal distance of tip of snout from 



centre of ej'e, tail coral-red in life, body sharply cross-banded . . . elegans 

 Q? Granules larger, about 18 in equal distance. 



d' Scales of vertex very small, of snout large and flat, colour finely 



speckled, vermiculations on head and neck cinereus 



d? Scales of head less differentiated, habit slender, usually cross- 



bauded on head and shoulders only ' . . . intermedium 



3? Dorsal scales granular, and keeled. 



b' Granules very small, 2.3 or 24 in standard distance, size large, body stout . pacificas 

 b^ Granules larger. 



c' Snout rather acute, longitudinal white stripes on head and body, 



about 20 granules in standard distance mold 



c- Snout rounded, usually fine longitudinal dark streaks on head and 



neck, about 21 or 22 granules in standard distance lineolatus 



A' Dorsals imbricate. 



a' No differentiated middorsal zone. 



b' Dorsals small imbricate smooth glaucus 



b^ Dorsals keeled. 



e' Keeled and small 9-15 in standard distance. 



d' Scales weakly keeled about 9 in standard distance, head slender, 



markings usually longitudinal difficilis 



d- Scales strongly keeled, smaller. 



e' Dorsals about 14 or lo in standard distance. 



f Dorsals distinctly broad festus 



P Dorsals elongate. 



g" Ventrals keeled goniorhynchus 



g- Ventrals smooth. 



h' Head long, depressed pointed, a spectacle 



mark on sacrum, body spotted oxyrrhinus 



