THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SCALE CHARACTERS IN EVALUATION OF THE LIZARD GENERA GERRHONOTUS, ELGARIA, AND BARISIA James W. Waddick' and Hobart M. Smith= Abstr.'\ct. — Data taken on external scale characters of 1003 specimens rep-resenting nine of the sixteen species of Gerrhonotus sensu Stebbins, 1958, strong-ly indicate that Tihen's 1949 arrangement of those species in three genera {Gerrhonotus, Elgaria, Barisia) is valid. Misinterpretation of the identity of the head scales in various species of this group has led erroneously to disregard of them as indicators of relationships. Actually the scales are as constant as in most other lizards and seemingly provide finn clues to natural associations. The proper generic allocation of species of "gerrhonotine" lizards, defined as those appropriately referred to Gerrhonotus Wiegmann {sensu lato) as understood before 1942 (Smith, 1942) has remained enigmatic despite the documentation provided by the most recent review of the group by Tihen (1949), based upon osteology and external scutellation. The primary doubt was cast upon the validity of Tihen's groupings by Stebbins (1958), who proposed an alternative grouping based upon reproductive habits, color patterns, and habitat. Haunted by the impression that external scutellation provides more reliable clues to relationships in this group than was thought by Stebbins, we initiated a re-examination of this particular aspect, utilizing materials in the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History (uimnh), University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoolog}^ (mvz). University of Kansas Museum of Natural History (kumnh), University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (ummz). United States National Museum (usnm), Brigham Young University Museum of Natural History (byu). University of Colorado Museum (cum) and University of Texas Natural History Collection (tnhc). We are much indebted to authorities at these institutions for the privilege of borrowing material from them; particularly instrumen-tal were Dr. Donald F. Hoffmeister, Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, Dr. E. Raymond Hall, the late Dr. Norman Hartweg, the late Dr. Doris Cochran, Dr. Wilmer W. Tanner, Dr. T. Paul Maslin, and Dr. W. F. Blair. As is apparent from this list, the work here reported was completed more than a decade ago. Its results remain valid and of current interest. Descriptive Terminology The definition of the genera of gerrhonotine lizards requires a definitive identification of the head and body scales involved. Uni-formity of terminology' has not existed in the past. Indeed, misidenti-fication of scales was important in Stebbins' (1958) rejection of scutellation as a reliable indicator of relationship. The nomenclature 'Curator of Education, New York Zoological Society, 185lli & Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York, 104<j0. ^Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder. 257
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