172 BULLETIN 1.14, UNITED STATES NxVTIONAL MUSEUM 



tained by Doctor Meek at El Paso fits exactly the C. tessellatus multi- 

 scutatii^y 



It is evident that the character of the siibcaiidal spots is useless 

 in this case. Although it may separate irndtiscutatus from the speci- 

 mens of tessellatus on the adjacent mainland hitherto designated as 

 stejnegeH, it does not diagnose them from those of the Great Basin. 

 Therefore, because of the failure of the one supposedly diagnostic 

 character, it is necessary to regard multhcutatus as but another 

 synonym of tessellatus. 



A new species, hartolomas, ^yas described by Dickerson (1919, 

 p. 476) on the basis of four specimens from the general region of 

 San Bartolome Bay, which is near the southern extreme of the 

 range of tessellatus on the mainland of Lower California. The 

 original description of hartolomas is indefinite and no diagnosis is 

 given. Schmidt (19'":;2, p. 673) Avrote that "The four specimens of 

 this form brought back by the Albatross expedition are of consider- 

 able interest for the variations they exhibit. In two specimens, the 

 (anterior) nasal is in contact with the second (upper) labial on one 

 side and separated from it on the other; in one case, just touching; 

 in the other, more broadly in contact. In two specimens, there 

 are only two complete rows of enlarged antebrachials ; in the others, 

 there are three complete rows. In coloration, one specimen A.JNI.N.H. 

 No. 5522) from the more southern locality, Abrejos Point, Ballenas 

 Bay, approaches ruhidus in the distinctness and wide separation of 

 the black spots. The remaining three are fully adult specimens, the 

 spots somewhat smaller and less sharpl}^ defined. 



" In the variation of the antebrachials and the second labial, these 

 specimens show an a])proach to lahkills, wliich is amply distinguished, 

 however, by othei- cliaracters * * * l believe that hartolomas 

 is directly related to stcjnegcri., and that it is derived from that 

 form. It seems amply distinct in the character of the throat scales 

 described in the key. C. multiscutatus is somewhat less distinct 

 from stejnegerl in coloration and in other characters than harto- 

 lomas.'''' The scale characters mentioned refer to the possession of 

 " Granular scales between the collar and the large central gulars, 

 which are very small and abruptly differentiated from the latter." 

 This character is unreliable, as may be seen by the examination of 

 almost any series in which a number of ages or geographical locali- 

 ties are represented. The possession of small, and somewhat variable, 

 posterior gulars is characteristic of the whole genus Cnemidojjhorus, 

 being particularly so of those individuals living in sandy areas, and 

 is generally unreliable for separating even distantly related species 

 from each other. 



According to Slevin (1926, p. 205) "Two specimens (C.A.S. Nos. 

 59558-59559) were collected at San Bartolome Bay on June 2, 1925. 



