A NEW GERRHONOTINE LIZARD FROM COSTA RICA. 



By Leonhard Stejneger, 



Curator, Dividon of Repfilt's and Bafrachians, U. S. National Museum. 



Prof. A. Alfaro, the distinguished director of the National Museum 

 in San Jose, Costa Rica, has sent me from time to time specimens of 

 reptiles for identification, and among them is a GerrJionotus which 

 appears to be new, and which I take pleasure in naming after him. 



GERRHONOTUS ALFAROI, new species. 



Diagnosis. — An unpaired prefrontal shield laterally inclosed by 

 two pairs of prefrontals, and narrowly in contact with frontal; dorsal 

 scales not larger than ventrals; nuchal scales in 8 rows; lateral dorsal 

 scales smooth; dorsal scales in 16 rows, the 6 median rows strongly 

 keeled; 2 pairs of internasals; nasal not in contact with rostral; no 

 projecting scales above the ear; ventrals in 12 rows. Color above 

 black, sprinkled with numerous bluish (greenish^) specks. 



Habitat. — Costa Rica. 



Type.— Oat. No. 373-12, U.S.N.M.; Santa Maria, northeast Laguna, 

 Costa Rica, 2,000 meters altitude; January, 190T; collector, J. F. 

 Tristan; original No. 223. 



Description of type-specimen . — Head ver}^ distinct from neck; head 

 shields smooth; 2 pairs of internasals behind the rostral; 5 pre- 

 frontals, 2 smaller ones on each side of a large, unpaired, hexagonal 

 shield, the latter narrowly in contact with the frontal; nasal separated 

 from rostral; 2 small supranasals; 1 postnasal, much higher than 

 broad; 2 superposed loreals, upper largest, extending to the upper 

 surface; 4 smaller outer supraoculars, anterior largest, and 4 larger 

 inner ones, anterior 2 in contact with frontal; frontal broadly in 

 contact with interparietal; 1 pair of fronto-parietals and 2 pairs of 

 parietals, the anterior pair larger and separated by interparietal, the 

 posterior by the occipital; 9 supralabials, the last largest and larger 

 than temporals; sides of neck widely granular; lateral fold strong, 

 with a granular zone; nuchal scales smooth, in 8 rows; dorsals not 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXII— No. 1542. 



505 



