342 BATRACHIANS AND LAND REPTILES 



Leiocephalus schreibersii (Gravenhorst). 



Epicrates chrysogaster (Cope). 



Tropidophis cana, (Cope). 



Of these Mabuya sloanii has a distribution extending beyond Haiti, but 

 the significant fact about it is that it does not occur in Cuba, and as not even 

 the genus is represented in the latter island, it matters comparatively little 

 that the specific identity of the Turks Islands skink is not settled beyond a 

 shadow of a doubt. 



It will be seen that all the above seven species so closely related to the 

 exclusively Haitian fauna are confined to Turks Islands and Great Inagua. 

 These islands are separated from the islands on the great bank not only 

 by deeper water (1000 to 1500 fathoms), but by wider channels less obstructed 

 by small islands or keys. To the south of them Haiti is the nearest land though 

 separated by a very deep channel more than 2000 fathoms deep. Great Inagua, 

 moreover, is nearly as close to the east end of Cuba as to Haiti. 



Opposing the fact that the islands situated on the same bank and nearest 

 to Cuba have a fauna most closely allied to that of Cuba, we have the corres- 

 ponding fact that the islands nearest to Haiti, though not on the same bank as 

 the latter, have a fauna most closely allied to Haiti. 



EELATIONS or RUM CAY AND WATLINGS ISLAND. 



The herpetological relations of these islands to the rest of the archipelago 

 as well as to Cuba and Haiti are not quite clear. This unfortunate state of 

 affairs is due not only to our defective knowledge of their own fauna in par- 

 ticular but of that of the other islands both east and west of them. In a meas- 

 ure their situation is intermediate between the two groups of islands treated of 

 above. On the other hand, they are quite peripheral and their isolated location 

 in deep water outside of the great bank gives them a certain independent status. 

 Scanty as our knowledge of their reptiles is, these points are also indicated in 

 their fauna, though possibly somewhat obscurely. 



The following species have been recorded from Rum Cay and Watlings : 



Watlings Island. Hum Cay. 



Hyla septentrionalis Boulenger. 

 Sphcerodactylus corticolus Garman. 

 Cyclura rileyi Stejneger. Sphcerodactylus decoratus Garman. 



Leiocephalus loxogmmmus Cope. 

 Leptotyphlops albifrons (Wagler). Anolis ordinatus Cope. 



