THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 207 



lamellae. A very distinct but low dorsal crest beginning at the 

 occiput and continuing unbroken to the end of the tail, not increasing 

 in height on the body, slightly higher on the tail; the caudal scales 

 keeled and mucronate; no verticils; tail compressed. The keels of 

 the dorsal scales are directed straight backward; those of the lateral 

 region are directed obliquely upward and backward. There are about 

 25 longitudinal rows of dorsal scales across the back. A transverse 

 series of four conspicuously enlarged postanals in the male. 



Dimensions: Snout to vent, 63 mm.; head to posterior ear, 17 mm.; 

 tail, 83 mm. (reproduced); foreleg, 30 mm.; hindleg, 55 mm.; width 

 of head, 13 mm. 



Color (in alcohol): Body color olive-buff; about six crescentic sepia 

 markings across the back, each one distinctly contrasted on its pos- 

 terior edge by a pale buff border, which is prolonged and enlarged at 

 the sides to form a wide, light, dorsolateral stripe, below which the 

 dark lateral color is again evident, with a series of light lateral spots 

 from axilla to groin. Ventral surface pale olive-buff, the latero- 

 ventral region with about six transverse bars composed of alternating 

 light brown and white (pale blue) scales. Throat with an indistinct 

 reticulation of narrow brown lines. Upper parts of limbs spotted 

 with brown and white. Tail with very pronounced crescentic brown 

 markings across it. Labials outlined with brown. 



Variations. — This species seems fairly constant in its major charac- 

 teristics. The supraocular scales may number six to eight, with some- 

 times a tendency to divide in the middle in the most anterior ones. 

 The frontal plates are of moderate and uniform size and fully in contact 

 with each other. The last prefrontal sometimes touches the canthal 

 scales ; this tendency is especially marked in lizards from Ratas Island 

 of the Sept Freres group, and a little less so in those from Tercero and 

 Tortue Islands. Most of the lizards on the mainland of Hispaniola 

 have the prefrontals completely separated from the canthals by small 

 scales. There is a median series of 10 or more usually azygous scales 

 between the two series of prefrontals; the foremost of these azygous 

 scales usually fits into the angle behind the internasals; rarely the 

 rostral touches this scale, thus separating the internasals. In lizards 

 from Ratas Island the internasals tend to divide longitudinally. The 

 tail crest in these same lizards, as well as in the adults from Tercero 

 and Tortue Islands, seems to be higher and spinier than in those from 

 the Hispaniolan mainland; these slight variations may in sufficient 

 time become numerous and pronounced enough to allow the island 

 forms to be designated as subspecies. 



There are 24 to 28 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe, while 18 to 

 23 dorsal scales are equivalent to the distance from snout to occiput. 

 Usually four upper labials lie between the rostral to a point beneath 

 the center of the eye. The ear scales may be considerably enlarged, in 



