224 ANURA CHAP. 



Hylopsis platycephalus, of South America, is of importance as 

 forming a link with the Dendrophiyniscinae, owing to the very 

 small size of the teeth in the upper jaw. There are no vomerine 

 teeth. The fingers and toes are webbed, and furnished with 

 discs. The very small omosternum and the metasternum are 

 cartilaginous. The pupil is horizontal. Total length, about 

 or under 1^ inch. 



Sub-Fam. 3. Dendrophryniscinae. The two Neotropical 

 genera of this sub-family are characterised by the entire absence 

 of teeth. The toothless condition of the upper jaw is really the 

 sole character which separates them from the Cystignathinae, 

 taken as a whole. The suppression of the tympanum and of the 

 Eustachian tubes in Batrackophrynus, and the fully webbed toes 

 of B. macrostomus indicate complete adaptation to aquatic life. 

 The absence of the omosternum in Dendrophryniscus, the absence 

 of vomerine teeth, the dilated phalangeal tips, the entire and quite 

 adherent tongue, are all features which likewise occur in some of 

 the Cystignathinae, and therefore cannot be urged against their 

 affinity. Lastly, the recently discovered South American genus 

 Hylopsis is, as pointed out by Werner, 1 an intermediate link, 

 owing to the extremely small, scarcely visible teeth in the upper 

 jaw. 



Dendrophryniscus brevipollicatus has been found in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Eio Janeiro. The head is depressed and triangular. 

 The tongue is entire, but free behind. The tympanum is sup- 

 pressed. The omosternum is absent ; the metasternum forms a 

 long bony style. The sacral diapophyses are cylindrical. The 

 terminal phalanges are simple, but carry dilated tips. The first 

 finger is rudimentary. The skin is nearly smooth, reddish brown 

 above, whitish below ; the limbs are cross-barred. 



Batracliophrynus inhabits the mountains of Peru. The head 

 is much depressed and small, with the eyes directed upwards, 

 as is usual in essentially aquatic species. The tongue is large, 

 circular, and entirely adherent. The tympanum and the Eus- 

 tachian tubes are suppressed. The omosternum is cartilaginous, 

 and the metasternum forms a cartilaginous plate. The sacral 

 diapophyses are cylindrical. The terminal phalanges are simple, 

 and carry no discs. The four fingers are short ; the toes are 

 webbed. The male has no vocal sac. B. brachydactylus has a 

 1 Zool. Anz. xvii. 189-i, p. 156. 



