786 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Order SQUAMATA. 



Suborder SAURI. 



The lizards occurriug iu the Hawaiian Islands belong to two different 

 families, and may be distinguished as follows : 



a' No large symmetrical shields on top of head; body covered with small granules 

 or minute scales; digits dilated; pupil vertical (fig. 7) Gkkkonid.e, p. 786 



a 2 Top of head with large symmetrical shields; body scales large, cycloid; digits 

 not dilated; pupil round (fig. II) ScmciD^, p. 803 



Family GEKKONID^. 



THE GECKOS. 



Four species, belonging to four genera, are known from the Hawaiian 

 Islands. All are rather closely related and are very much alike iu 

 general appearance. In identifying them strict attention must be paid 

 to the structural characters as given below. The four species may be 

 distinguished as follows : 



a ' Compressed distal phalanx of digits adhering to the dilated portion and extend- 

 ing somewhat beyond it, but not rising angularly from within the edge 



(fig. 1) Le])i(lodactylu8 Imjnhria, p. 788 



a'^ Compressed distal phalanx of digits free, rising angularly from within the edge 

 of the dilated portion (fig. 2). 

 h ' Inner digits with distal phalanx compressed and clawed (fig. 3). 



Hemidactylus garnolii, p. 792 

 h- Inner digits without a distal compressed and clawed phalanx. 

 c ' Chin-shields large (fig. 5) ; a series of transverse plates under the tail. 



Perojms mutilatus, p. 796 

 c- Chin-shields not differentiated (fig. 6) ; no transverse plates under the tail. 



Hemipliyllodactylus leucostictua, p. 800 



Each of the four species has its own peculiar characteristic, which 

 makes their ex^ct identification comparatively easy, namely: 



Hemidactylus garnotii, a well-developed raised terminal joint on the 

 inner digit; 



Lepidodactyliis luguhris, the terminal joint of the digits adhering to 

 the disk, not raised up from it; 



Peropns mutilatus, the peculiar pattern of the chin-shields, shown in 

 fig. 5 (p. 797); 



Hemiphrjllodactylus leucostictus, the elongated body and short cylin- 

 drical tail. 



Comparative table of dimenaiona. 



