SOME AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES FROM PORTO 

 RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



BY HENRY W. FOWLER. 



The animals comprising the above-named groups were largely 

 obtained in Porto Rico during the early summer of 1915 by Mr. Charles 

 F. Silvester, while on the staff of the expedition of the Carnegie Insti- 

 tution of Washington. They form an interesting accession to the 

 Museum of Princeton University. Another collection, obtained in 

 the Virgin Islands in 1876 by Mr. A. D. Brown, has been studied in 

 this connection and included in the present report. It is also the 

 property of Princeton University. I am under obligations to Mr. 

 Silvester for the opportunity to study all this material, as well as for 

 various notes, information, etc., kindly placed at my disposal. A 

 series of specimens has been reserved for the Museum of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



The herpetology of Porto Rico has been so ably discussed by Dr. 

 Leonhard Stejneger, in his paper of that title, published in 1902, that 

 the present account is intended as merely supplementary. 



AMPHIBIA. 



LEPTODACTYLID^:. 



Leptodactylus albilabris (Giinther). Figure 1. 



Ten from the junction of the Arecibo and Tanama Rivers, Porto Rico, 

 on June 9, 1915. As considerable variation in color is noticeable, 5 examples 

 have been selected as an illustration of the dorsal aspect. Two adults show 

 a strongly contrasted color-pattern above, largely of longitudinal bands, 

 of which the median or vertebral is whitish, edged on each side by a blackish 

 band of variable width in places; these blackish bands largely alike. Some- 

 times a whitish vertebral band gives off a branch on each side in the front 

 interorbital region, which extends over eyelid. Blackish band on each side 

 of snout, including nostril, to eye, then continued behind to embrace tym- 

 panum to shoulder, present in all examples. Side of each lip dusky. Several 

 blackish spots on groin and a few obsolete dusky markings along the side. 

 Upper surface of hind limbs strongly contrasted with blackish crossbars. 

 Other examples show lengthwise bands on back obscure, or as irregular 

 blotches, and along the sides as broken small spots. They often form two 

 large A-shaped obscure blotches on back before pelvis. Two dark lateral 

 bands may unite in hind interorbital region to form a connecting dark bar. 

 Some examples have the throat dusted with pale dusky, though in most the 

 entire under surface is uniform whitish. 



One metamorphosing example and several tadpoles from Utuado; a small 

 example from the Virgin Islands. The Porto Rican examples were obtained 

 along small streams flowing into the Arecibo River about 5 kilometers south 

 of Arecibo, where the lowlands merge into the hills. Active during day-time. 



3 



