90 University of California Puhlications in Zoology [Vol. 11 



number of teeth and seizing jaws possessed by eaoh individual, 

 and the stage of maturity of ovary and seminal vesicle in each 

 individual, are recorded. It is therefore hoped that the data in 

 table 1 will materially aid future investigators in definitely 

 settling questions of synon;vTny in the event of another similar 

 species being discovered. 



Again, much confusion occasionally arises because the nature 

 as well as extremes of specific variation is not known, and its 

 exposition constitutes one of the crying needs in the descrip- 

 tion of species. Pearl (1911, p. 110) has fully expressed this 

 need as follows: "The systematist frankly makes no attempt 

 whatever to describe or define a particular species as a species — 

 in terms of its (the species) qualities. Instead he describes one 

 individual animal belonging to this species; affirms either ex- 

 pres.sly or tacitly that all other individuals belonging to the 

 species are "about" or "generally" like the individual described, 

 and then he calls the net results the definition or description of 

 the species. But now surely this is not a description of the 

 species at all. An adequate description of the species will be 

 one which takes account of its peculiarities as a unit, and indi- 

 cates how it as a unit or as a whole is distinguished from other 

 similar groups." Now the data compiled in table 1 afford an 

 excellent opportunity for determining many of these important 

 specific characteristics relative to variation and correlation in 

 the several proportional measurements and number of teeth 

 and seizing jaws. Therefore, following the customary descrip- 

 tion some space is devoted to this purjjose. However, it is not 

 my intention, had I the ability, to plunge the reader into the 

 intricacies of biometrical analysis, though that might be desir- 

 able, but it is attempted so to arrange and analyze the data that 

 all who read may readily comprehend. 



DESCRIPTION 



General, Appearance. — To the naked eye S. californica, 

 when placed in formalin upon a white background, assumes a 

 very light yellowish-green color. It is palest about the neck and 

 tip of tail, and shades gradually into a slightly deeper tint in the 

 region of the ovaries. The brown seizing jaws, alone, stand out 



