1887.] 273 [Gannaii. 



On the Reptiles and Batrachians of Grand Cayman. By Samuel Garman, 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



{Read before the American Philosophical Society, October?, 18S7.) 



Grand Cayman island is situated in the Caribbean sea, south of Cuba — in 

 round numbers— about two hundred miles, west north-west of Jamaica 

 about the same distance, and not far from four hundred miles east of 

 Yucatan. It is a comparatively recent coral formation and rises but little 

 above the sea. In total length it approaches twenty-five miles, but in 

 width it is less than three. 



Consideration of the origin, size and position of Grand Cayman, together 

 with the directions of its currents, winds and traific, prepares us for the 

 conclusion, reached from study of a portion of its terrestrial fauna, that 

 it has received its land animals, not so very long ago, from the neigh- 

 boring large islands. 



The collection on which this notice is based, purchased by the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology, from Mr. W. B. Eichardson, contained one 

 hundred and five specimens, representing in all six species : three lizards, 

 one snake, one toad and one treefrog. One of the lizards, a little Anolis, 

 is nearly related to a species from Jamaica ; another, a Gecco, belongs 

 to a Jamaican species, and is hardly distinct enough to rank as a variety ; 

 and the third forms a species nearest to one described by Professor Cope 

 from Navassa (eastward from Jamaica) and close to another from Cuba. 

 The snake and the treefrog belong to Cuban species. And the toad 

 ranges from Jamaica to Brazil. There might be more hesitation in call- 

 ing one of the forms distinct if it were not for its complete isolation. 

 It is because of tliis, and, also, because of the likelihood that the differ- 

 ences are becoming greater and more numerous with time, that the details 

 of description are so much dwelt upon. Besides, the closeness of the 

 affinities, with forms belonging to the other islands, makes it the more 

 necessary to deal with particulars. 



The list includes the following : 



Anolis conspersus, sp. n. 

 Liocephalas varius, sp. n. 

 Aristelliger prasicjnis Hallow.; Cope. 

 Alsop7iis caymanus, var. n. 

 Bufo marinus Linn. ; Schneid, 

 Hyla septentrionalis Tschudl. ; Blgr. 



Anolis conspehsxjs, sp. n. 



Head large, about one and threes fourths times as long as broad, longer 

 than the tibia. Forehead concave. Frontal ridges low. Occiput con- 

 cave. Scales on the sides and top of the head with low blunt keels. 



PROC. AMEK. PHILOS. SOC. XXIV. 126. 2l. PRINTED NOV. 19, 1887. 



