THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 299 



mm.; snout to posterior border of occipitals, 6 mm.; tail, 11 mm.; 

 diameter at midbody, 4 mm. 



Color (in alcohol) : Above dark fawn color, lightening to wood 

 brown below, all the scales and plates quite uniformly colored. 



Relationships. — While Amphisbaena manni is the Hispaniolan rep- 

 resentative of the Puerto Rican caeca, as Dr. Barbour rightfully stated 

 in his original description of manni, it can nevertheless be told at a 

 glance from all other West Indian amphisbaenians by its fused nasal 

 and rostral plates. None of the specimens of caeca show any approach 

 to such a condition. The Hispaniolan species seems a little smaller 

 also, our largest specimen, No. 74679, measuring only 195 mm. in 

 length, as against 242 mm. for No. 27320 from Bayamon, Puerto 

 Rico. 



Variations. — There seems to be more variation in the number of 

 preanal pores in A. manni than is the rule in other West Indian Amphis- 

 baena, which are quite constant in this respect. There is certainly a 



a 



Figure 83. — Amphisbaena manni: a, Top of head; b, side of head; c, chin. U.S.N.M. 

 No. 67113, paratype, from Cap-Haltien, Haiti. Three times natural size. 



marked tendency for the occurrence of six pores in ground lizards from 

 Rio San Juan, since in our series of nine specimens from that region, 

 but one specimen varies by having seven pores. Two of Schmidt's 

 specimens from the Dominican Republic had six pores, and one of 

 Dr. Barbour's type series from Cap-Haiitien had seven. Considerable 

 variability is likewise shown in the number of segments above and 

 below the lateral line. The specimens that have come under my ob- 

 servation may have 12, 13, 14, or 16 dorsal segments and 14, 16, or 

 18 ventral segments. The range in the number of body rings is a 

 matter of local distribution to some extent, as my series from Rio San 

 Juan, just mentioned in connection with a low count of preanal pores, 

 have a fairly high and homogeneous count in the number of body 

 rings, ranging nicely from 225 to 234. But the two specimens from 

 Boca del Infierno both possess eight preanal pores and have a very 

 low number of body rings, 219 and 208, which are the lowest recorded 

 counts for this species. 



Specimens examined. — As listed in table 54. 



