Williams - p. 5 
Special comment is possible on two of the South American groups: 
(1) The one interesting point about the laevis group is, of course, 
the proboscis itself, The natural question is: What do they do with it? 
Williams' current answer it: They do nothing with it. The proboscis is 
comparable to the crests on the head and body of males of Basiliscus - an 
extraordinary, quite bizarre species and sex recognition character, but 
only that. 
(2) Since the discovery of a species (thus far represented by a single 
specimen) morphologically intermediate between the genera Anolis and 
Tropidodactylus, special attention has been given (1) to a search for 
additional specimens of the new intermediate species and (2) to obser- 
vations on the ecology of the species onca, the single species that has 
been referred to the genus Tropidodactylus, 
The search for the annectant species has been unfruitful, It has, 
however, confirmed that the habitat of the species onca is a very special 
one - arid with sparse vegetation and a high wind. This limits the species 
to certain coastal areas in or near coastal northern Colombia and Venezuela, 
Back of these areas in situations which may be quite as arid but are without 
wind, Anolis auratus occurs in small numbers. Clearly A. auratus is a much 
more eurytopic species, since it extends from areas of extreme aridity with 
scattered cacti and thorn bushes to rather lush grassy areas in fields or 
forest edge. We nowhere saw onca and auratus together. Onca was in some 
places abundant, but auratus, in our experience of the very arid areas 
adjacent to the range of onca, was never so, Auratus was abundant in grass 
or fields in essentially mesic situations. (For more information on onca 
see the observations by Kenneth Miyata above.) i 
The difference between Anolis, the annectant species, and onca is in 
infradigital morphology. Anolis has an adhesive pad under phalanges ii and 
iii with smooth transverse lamellae with a free edge and microscopic hairs. 
The annectant species has a narrowed Anolis-like pad under phalanx ii but 
keeled scales under phalanx iii. Onca has keeled scales under both phalanges 
ii and iii. 
Collaboration has begun with Paul Maderson on the histology and develop- 
ment of the infradigital epidermis in onca. He has also been able to confirm 
the sharp difference between the areas under phalanges ii and iii in the 
annectant species. A curious phenomenon in which hatchling onca appear to 
have smooth, hence lamellar-like, scales under the toes is being investigated. 
Maderson has been able to show that the infradigital scales of hatchling 
onca have none of the hairs of anoline adhesive pads but lack also the spikes 
of larger onca. The change-over occurs after only a few millimeters of 
growth. Maderson finds the change itself extraordinary and its rapidity 
even more so, He is very interested in following the cellular changes 
involved. 
