Engystomatidae 



Range: As far as known, reported only from San Diego and 

 Brownsville, Texas. Abundant where found. 



Hypopaclus cuneus is a bright-coloured, alert little batrachian 

 that must be much more widely distributed than is known at 

 present. At Brownsville, it has been found in shallow water in 

 late June after heavy rains, at the same time that Scapbiopus 

 couchii came from its underground burrow to deposit its eggs. 

 Whenever this batrachian has been found, it has beenin abund- 

 ance, so that there was no difficulty in catching dozens of the 

 diminutive creatures. 



The skin of the back is loose and leathery, so that it can be 

 thrust in a fold far forward, making the head look like a turtle's 

 pointed head protruding from its shell. This frog shows a pattern 

 of yellowish or whitish thread lines, corresponding exactly to the 

 lines along which the skin naturally splits during the moulting. 

 Not only is there the line along the middle of the head and back 

 but there is a similar one along the midline of the ventral surface 

 from the lower jaw to a point of meeting posteriorly with the line 

 of the back. Branches from this main line extend along the 

 middle of the posterior face of the femur to the tibia, along 

 the back edge of the tibia to the heel, over this and out on 

 the foot to a point just above the sole tubercles, where it is lost 

 to the naked eye. There are also two branches opposite each 

 other on the breast; they extend outward and forward to the 

 humerus, thence out along the humerus and lower arm on to 

 the hand. These lines may be obscure or very conspicuous. 

 (Fig. 196.) 



The habits and life history of Hypopaclus cuneus are not on 

 record. 



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