THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 121 



the same tone on the occiput and upper surface of the neck; a pale 

 streak on the lower half of the side of the tail margined above by a 

 streak of dark brown; a few irregular and indistinct spots of dark 

 brown along the ventral margin of the same streak; throat and under 

 surface of neck spotted with brown; ventral surface of limbs and ab- 

 domen suffused with the same tone. 



"Dimensions.— Head and body, 27 mm.; tail, 23 mm.; snout to 

 posterior edge of ear, 6.5 mm.; snout to center of eye, 3.5 mm.; width 

 of head, 5 mm. ; fore limb from axilla, 7 mm. ; hind limb from groin, 8 mm. 



"Variation. — The only paratype in the series is another adult male 

 (A.M.N.H. No. 51469) wliich is identical to the type, except that a 

 pair of light spots is visible on the dorsal surface of the tail base. 

 These spots like those of the scapular region are more or less margined 

 with a few dark brown blotches. The general ground tone of the 

 upper surface is slightly lighter than the type, and the few small spots 

 of dark brown scattered over the upper surface of the head and body 

 are better indicated. In life this species was characterized by its dark 

 tone. The color did not change greatly on preservation. 



"Habitat. — These two specimens were both found under stones 

 about twelve feet apart, in the deep channel cut by a small stream. 

 There was no standing water, but the stream bed and steep sides were 

 very damp. The mountain top in the vicinity w^as covered with 

 rain forest." 



The paratype A.M.N.H. No. 51469 has these dimensions: Head 

 and body, 28 mm.; tail, 17 mm.; head length, 6.5 mm.; snout to center 

 of eye, 3.5 mm. ; head width, 4.5 mm. ; foreleg, 6 mm. ; hindleg, 10 mm. 

 In addition to the color variation noted in the original description, 

 the chest scales in the paratype arrear to be entirely smooth. The 

 preanal patch is about 5 scales high by 18 wide and is bluntly rounded 

 in front, while its posterior extremities extend for four or five scales' 

 distance onto the femur. 



SPHAERODACTYLUS ALTAVELENSIS Noble and Hassler 



Figure 41 



1933. Sphaerodactylus altavelensis Noble and Hassler, Amer. Mus. Nov., No. 

 652, p. 7.— Barbour, Zoologica, vol. 19, No. 3, p. 102, 1935; Bull. Mus. 

 Comp. Zool., vol. 82, No. 2, p. 112, 1937. 



Original description. — "Diagnostic Characters. — A small species, 

 approximately 50 mm. in total length, very closely related to iS. 

 difficilis Barbom- but differing in a combination of characters. Pos- 

 terior part of tlu'oat covered with a broad band of keeled scales. 

 Ten scales on the side of the body in a distance between that of the 

 tip of snout and center of eye. One or two dark streaks on the pos- 

 terior side of the thigh extending along the sides of the tail. Adult 

 male and female gray and spotted with dark brown. A 'mask' 



22GS49— 41 9 



