272 ANURA CHAP. 



Gctmpsosteonyx has free toes. The terminal joints of the 

 digits stand out beyond the skin, and end in sharp, bony claws, 

 like those of a cat. 



Sub-Fam. 3. Dendrobatinae. About one dozen arboreal 

 little frogs have been separated from the Eaninae proper on 

 account of the entire absence of teeth. This mere loss of teeth, 

 and the geographical distribution suggest that these frogs do 

 not form a natural group, but have been developed independently 

 from other Kanidae, the Neotropical Dendrobates from some like- 

 wise Neotropical genus like Prostherapis, the Malagasy Mantella 

 from an African form like Megalixalus. 



The sacral diapophyses are cylindrical. The omo- and 

 meta-sternum are well developed. The fingers and toes are free, 

 their terminal phalanges are T-shaped and carry regular, round, 

 adhesive discs. The tympanum is distinct, although sometimes, 

 in Dendrobates, very small. The pupil is horizontal. 



Dendrobates. The tongue is elongate, entire and free behind. 

 The omosternum has a weak, semi-ossified style, but the meta- 

 sternum remains cartilaginous. The males have a subgular 

 vocal sac. Seven closely-allied species inhabit tropical America. 



D. tinctorius. This pretty little species, scarcely 1^- inch 

 in length, is quite smooth, varies much in coloration, and forms 

 local races to a certain extent. Some are quite black, others are 

 grey above, black on the sides and under parts ; or they are grey 

 with large black patches. A fourth variety is black above with 

 several white or pink longitudinal stripes, while the under parts 

 are grey, spotted with black. In others, again, the ground- 

 colour is black, with white stripes and spots above, marbled 

 below. But this enumeration does not exhaust the list, since 

 living specimens are sometimes much more conspicuously 

 coloured, some being black with large patches of saturated 

 yellow on the head and back, while the limbs are orange red 

 and black. This species has a wide range, from Panama to 

 Ecuador and to the mouth of the Amazon. It owes its specific 

 name to the peculiar use made by man of the strongly poisonous 

 secretion of the tiny glands of the otherwise smooth skin. 

 Other species are doubtless employed in the same way. The 

 poison is mainly used for " dyeing " the green Amazon-parrots. 

 This is done as follows : The green and blue feathers on the 

 head and neck, or other parts, according to the fancy of the 



