vi CYSTIGNATHIDAE CYSTIGNATHINAE 2 I 3 



A. Pupil contracted into a horizontal slit. 



a. Omosternum rudimentary. Vomerine teeth present. 



a. Tympanum distinct . . . Phanerotia ftetcheri. 

 (3. Tympanum hidden .... Cryptotis brevis. 



b. Omosternum present. Vomerine teeth vestigial. 



Crinia, 4 species. 



c. First finger opposed to the others . Chiroleptes, p. 221. 



B. Pupil contracted into a vertical slit. 



a. Omosternum rudimentary. Vomerine teeth absent. 



Hyperolia marmorata. 



b. Omostornum fully developed. Vomerine teeth present. 



a. Tympanum distinct. Toes webbed. 



Mixophyes fasciolatns. 



ft. Tympanum hidden. Toes webbed. Heleioporus, p. 222. 

 y. Tympanum indistinct. Toes free or slightly webbed. 



Limnodynastes, p. 222. 



Pscudis, widely distributed over South America, consists of 

 four species which have the appearance of long-legged frogs. 

 The fingers, of which the first is opposed to the others, are free ; 

 the long toes are fully webbed. The tympanum is exposed. 



P. paradoxa is absolutely aquatic, floating in pools, and is 

 extremely shy. In life it is most beautifully coloured with 

 bronze, bright green, and black markings above ; underneath it is 

 shiny yellow, with brown spots on the body and stripes on the 

 thighs. Within a few minutes after death all the brilliant 

 colours of the smooth skin of the back turn into dull uniform 

 brown, with indistinct darker spots. Total length of the adult 

 from 2 to 2^- inches. The specific name refers to the peculiar 

 shape and monstrous size of the larva or tadpole. 



One of the larvae described and figured by Parker measures 

 10^ inches in length, the head and body taking up 3^ inches. 

 The spiracle lies on the left side and the hind legs are ^ inch 

 long, just breaking through the skin. The vent is median. 

 The huge tail is very thick and muscular, and is furnished with a 

 high, irregularly shaped dorsal and ventral fin, the whole organ 

 measuring 4 inches dorso-ventrally. Another larva, or rather 

 tadpole, in the national collection is older, and although still very 

 large, namely, 7 inches long, has fully developed hind-limbs 3 

 inches long ; the fore-limbs are less than half that size, the left 

 protrudes through the spiracle, while the right has broken through 

 the skin. The doi'sal and ventral fins of the tail have much 

 shrunk ; the whole organ, 5 inches long, is gradually tapering to 

 a point like the tail of ordinary tadpoles. By the time that the 



