BARBOUR: NOTES ON THE HERPETOLOGY OF JAMAICA. 291 



Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus Cope. 

 Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1894, 1895, p. 440. 



This species is not represented in any of the collections wliicli liave come to 

 Land from Jamaica. The types were taken by the University of Pennsylvania 

 West Indian Expedition of 1890 and 1891 at Port Antonio. There is a well- 

 preserved example, No. 36648, in the United States National Museum. 



Peculiar to Jamaica. 



Sphaerodactylus oxyrhinus Gosse. 

 Gosse, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1850, ser. 2, 6, p. 347. 



It is very unfortunate that our collections throw no new light on the habits or 

 distribution of this rare form. Dr. Duerden recorded, Kingston Daily Gleaner, 

 that the Museum of tlie Institute of Jamaica had two specimens. A careful search 

 failed to find them among the few reptiles still preserved there. They were prob- 

 ably destroyed by the earthquake or lost during the subsequent moving of the 

 collections. 



Boulenger records but one specimen in the British Museum, Gosse's type from 

 St. Elizabeth (Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus., 1885, 1, p. 222). There is also but a single 

 specimen in the collections here. No. 7033, without more definite locality than 

 Jamaica. 



Sphaerodactylus gilvitorques Cope. 

 Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, p. 500. 



This gecko has been supposed to be most uncommon. Duerden states that no 

 specimen ever reached the Institute collection. The same may be said of Bou- 

 lenger {loc. cit., p. 227), who did not know the species from autopsy. Eleven ex- 

 amples taken while searching for Peripatus near Bath, in eastern Jamaica, are 

 before me. Most of these were taken deep among the roots of banana plants, 

 where their eggs, scattered singly iu the earth or decaying vegetable matter on the 

 ground, were also found. This little lizard seems to be a rather good burrower. 

 Three specimens came from Mandeville in middle Jamaica; they were caught 

 under stones. Mr. A. E. Wight took several here and three more near Port 

 Autonio. His field notes show that these also were taken under stones. He re- 

 marks on their activity and difficulty of capture, which is rather striking. This 

 species is sometimes called " wood slave" or "little wood slave" by the natives, 

 though more genei-ally by the name mentioned for S. argus. The name of " wood 

 slave " is a very old one, also occasionally applied to Mabuia sloanii, for which 

 the name " snake-waiting boy " is now more common. Gosse mentions the former 

 name. 



The color is fairly variable. The collar is generally very inconspicuous, while 

 the rather elaborate arrangement of lines on the liead, described by Boulenger and 

 Cope, is not at all a constant character. Generally speaking, all are rich mahogany 

 brown above, with rhomboidal markings in reddish brown. These may be faint, 



