ON THE NORTH AMERICAN LIZARDS OF THE GENUS BARISSIA 

 OF GRAY. 



BY 



Leonhard Stejneger. 



Curator of the Department of Reptiles and Batrachians. 

 Barissia imbricata (Wiegm.). 



Since Proiessor Baird, in 1858, described his Gerrhonotus olivaceus 

 very little has been done with a view to determine its relation to the 

 other species of the genus. Cope (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 1, pp. 46, 

 90) recognizes it as a separate species peculiar to the Pacific region, 

 and Yarrow (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 24, p. 46) and Garman (List. N. 

 Am. Eept. and Batr., p. 13) follow his example, the former identifying 

 two [or, correctly, three] specimens in the National Museum (No. 7087) 

 from Mexico as this species, thus including the latter country within the 

 range of the species. Boulenger (Gal. Liz. Brit. Mus., ii, p. 273) in- 

 cludes it among the synonyms of Oerrhonotus cwruleus, though with a 

 query, a most remarkable proceeding, since the original description of 

 Professor Baird clearly indicates it as a member of the Barissia group, 

 whether this name be taken in a generic sense, or not, as will be seen 

 from the following quotation: 



No single frontal [=" no azygos iirefroutal " ] . A series of three pairs of plates 

 between the vertical [= " frontal"] and rostral * * * 39 transverse rows of scales 

 on back from head to tail. 12 longitudinal rows above ; the 6 central strongly cari- 

 nated. 



No'mention is made of " projecting scales above the ear", a character 

 which Professor Baird would most probably have noted had it occured 

 in his specimens. Applying this description to Boulenger's own synop- 

 sis of the species of the genus Oerrhonotus {torn, cit, p. 267), it will be 

 seen that it falls within the characters assigned to G. imbricatus. An 

 examination of Baird's type also proves most conclusively that G. oliva- 

 ceus is a synonym of Barissia imbricata.* 



The specimens in hand, Professor Baird's types (U. S. Nat Mus., No. 

 3096), and three from Orizaba, collected by Sumichrast (No. 7087) agree 

 in every respect inter se, as well as with Wiegmann's, Bocourt's, and 

 Boulenger's descriptions of the typical G. imbricatus. In the arrange- 

 ment of the cephalic shields, in the carination and numbers of dorsal 



*Garraan in his "List" (1. c.) places G. olivaceus in the genus Barissia, retaining 

 imbricatus in GerrJionotus. I can see no good reason for this, inasmuch as tbe latter 

 species seems to be the type of the genus Barissia. 



Prcceedings National Museum, Vol. XIII— No. 809. 



183 



