644 



DESCRIPTION OF NEW LIZARD — STEJNEGER. 



and in these tbe outer is by far tbe largest ; two have ouly four femoral 

 rows. Iu other respects the specimens are nearly identical. 



Of all our North American Cuemidopliori this seems to he the most 

 distinct species, Cnemidoplwrus (Verticaria) hyperythrus not even ex- 

 cepted. As will be seen from an enumeration of the characters by 

 which it differs from them all, viz: the peculiar relations of the nasals 

 and anterior labials, the arrangement of the preanals, the low num- 

 ber of femoral pores, twelve to thirteen, brachials in three subequal 

 rows, femorals in only four to five rows. Of these the first-men- 

 tioned character seems even to be unique in the genus, as I have seen 

 no mention of it in the descriptions of extralimital species, and after a 

 careful examination of about three hundred specimens of the various 

 North American forms I can find no approach to the condition which 

 is so characteristic of the present species, in all five specimens of which 

 it is equally well pronounced. The low number of femoral pores is also 

 well worth noting, inasmuch as it entirely destroys the usefulness of 

 one of the sections of Boulenger's key to the species (Cat. Liz. Brit. 

 Mus., ii, pp. 3G0 and 361), relied upon to separate the South American 

 species, C. ocellifer and multilineatus from the other species with eight 

 longitudinal rows of ventral plates and the nostrils opening in the 

 nasal. The fusion of the two posterior preanals into one wide trans- 

 versal plate seems to be another good character. It is true that this 

 state of affairs is occasionally seen iu specimens of C. sexlineatiis or its 

 numerous subspecies, but the occurrence is rare, hardly reaching 2 

 per cent, in the enormous series examined by me, while in the Cerros 

 Island species it is normal siuce fouud equally well represented in all 

 five specimens. 



So well circumscribed is the new species that a special comparison 

 with other forms seems entirely unnecessary. 



Specimens examined. 



