202 BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY. 



Sphaerodactylus decoratus Gakman. 



Carman, Bull. Essex inst., 1888, 20, p. 111. Barbour, Bull. M. C. Z., 1904, 46, p. 57. Rosen, Lunds 

 univ. arsskrift, 1911, 7, no. 5, p. 27. 



The type (M. C. Z., No. 6,220) is from Rum Cay. It is common upon Andros 

 Island and rare on New Providence. Specimens from the last two localities 

 were collected in the Bahamas during the summer of 1904 by Dr. Glover M. Allen, 

 Owen Bryant, and myself. 



This species, which in its lepidosis is so very like S. punctatissimus Gray and 

 S. flavicaudus Barbour, is well marked by its strikingly conspicuous coloration, 

 different from any other species in the section of the genus having the minute 

 granular dorsal scales. 



The thought occurs at once that S. punctatissimus, S. flavicaudus, and S. 

 decoratus may in reality be merely color phases within a species which has a 

 lepidosis varying slightly in connection with each coloration. But this fact, and 

 the added one that no intergrades in coloration have ever been found make 

 it seem probable that they are really distinct species. Field observations based 

 upon the hatching of broods of young would settle this point, as we know both 

 young and full grown individuals of most of the forms. The coloration does not 

 seem to change during growth. The young of S. decoratus looks extremely like 

 S. elegans from Cuba; while the young of S. cinereus and S. flavicaudus are very 

 alike. 



Sphaerodactylus flavicaudus Barbour. 

 Barbour Bull. M. C. Z., 1904, 46, p. 56. Rosen, Lunds univ. arsskrift, 1911 7, no. 5, p. 27. 



The type series of fourteen specimens (M. C. Z., No. 6,953) came from 

 Mangrove Cay, Andros Island. Rosen found it common at Mastic Point on the 

 same island. So far as known it does not occur elsewhere. 



This species is very closely related to S. nigropunctatus Gray, if our speci- 

 mens from Santiago really represent Gray's species. The Andros examples may 

 be distinguished by the scales of the back and flanks being more nearly the same 

 size. The coloration is different. Major Robinson's labels state that his speci- 

 mens were brown, with mustard-colored tails, while all the types of the Andros 

 species were pale cream color in life, with brilliant yellow tails. One of Robin- 

 son's specimens shows fine dark dots thickly scattered over the dorsal surfaces. 

 A specimen marked in this way doubtless suggested the name nigropunctatus to 

 Gray. Boulenger mentions that the spots have faded, and the type is now 

 brown, with tail and lower surfaces lighter. 



