TEIID LIZAUDS OF THE GEXUS CXEMIDOPHORUS 53 



A series of 25 speciniciis has been examined and the data sum- 

 marized as follows: Body, -i^-llO mm.; tail, 95-252; total length, 

 13T-;553; width of head. G-16; hind leg-. 35-78; supraoculars four in 

 23 specimens, five in 1 specimen, and 5-G in 1 specimen; supraocular 

 granules extending forward to the middle of the fourth supraocu- 

 lar in 1 specimen, and to the anterior border of the fourth supra- 

 ocular in 23 specimens, and to the middle of the third supraocular 

 in 1 specimen. 



Range. — The blausana is evidently confined to the island of Aruba 

 in the Dutch Leeward Islands off the northwestern coast of Vene- 

 zuela. The available records are as follows: {General Report.^ Van 

 Lidth de Jeude, 1887, p. 132, F.M.N.H.; Boedoel, Kuthven, 1923, 

 p. 8, Mich.; Cmivpo IVest Punt, Ruthven, 1923, p. 8, Mich.; North of 

 Oranjestad, Euthven, 1923, p. 8. Mich.; Near Per'k-iefenhosrh, Eutli- 

 ven, 1923, p. 8, Mich.; Roo'i Lamoencld, Ruthven, 1923, p. 8, ISIich.) 



Habitat and Habits. — Apparently nothing is known about the 

 habitat and habits of this form. 



A-fjinities. — As remarked by Van Lidth de Jeude (1887), "This 

 siDecies shows a great resemblance on one side Avith murlnus and on 

 the other side with lemmscafus. It agrees with lemniscatus in hav- 

 ing eight longitudinal rows of ventral plates; as to coloration, it 

 resembles miirinus.^^ However, in addition to the usual eight rows, 

 a vestigial outer pair is sometimes present, approaching the condi- 

 tion shown by certain 10-ventralled specimens of murinus in which 

 the outer rows are found to be someAvhat reduced. Thus, the transi- 

 tion from mui'hnts to arubensis is gradual, rather than abrupt as it 

 would appear at first sight. Although the coloration resembles 

 nvuHnus.^ the development of the striped pattern in arubensis defi- 

 nitely points toward lemmiscatu.s, as does likewise the enlargement 

 of the brachial plates, the reduction in the number of femoral pores, 

 and the more profuse spotting. Therefore, it appears that arubensis 

 serves as a connecting link between murinus and lemniscatus, and 

 for reasons to be presented in the general summary at the end of 

 this work (pp. 251 to 260), it is thought to have been derived from 

 the former. 



SUMMARY OF THE LEMNISCATUS GROUP 



The lemniscatus group is confined to Central and South America. 

 The series as a whole is separated from other groups within the genus 

 Gneniidoj>horus by the possession of five parietal plates and by the 

 usual presence of the nostril in the suture between the anterior and 

 posterior nasal plates instead of anterior to that suture. 



The lemniscatus group is composed of five forms, murinus, 

 arubensis, lemniscatus, nijjricolor and ocellifer. As shown above 

 (p. 51), murinus, the race runner on Bonaire and Curacao, is very 



