1909.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 401 



ON THE TRUE STATUS OF THE GENUS CACOPOIDES. 



BY THOMAS BARBOUR. 



In August, 1907, a considerable collection of reptiles and amphibians 

 was purchased from Mr. Alan Owston, of Yokohama, Japan. Most of 

 the specimens were from the island of Formosa, from Hainan and from 

 various localities in the Riu Kiu archipelago. A few specimens, how- 

 ever, were from the Chinese mainland, some from Sian, capital of the 

 province of Shensi, while others were from Antung in Manchuria. 

 Among the specimens from this last locality was a peculiar "digger 

 toad" upon which I founded the genus Cacopoides. Dr. Stejneger, 

 about the time of the description, rather doubted the probability of the 

 specimen having come from Manchuria. I am assured, however, that 

 the locality is correct by Mr. Owston, and from the specimens which 

 were received with the toad there seems every reason to believe that 

 it is authentic. Two typical Northern species of frogs, to wit, Rana 

 nigromaculata and Rana amurensis, as well as a specimen of Amy da 

 schlegelii, came in the same jar with Cacopoides. In October, 1908, 

 the writer happened to be in London for a few days, en route to Brazil. 

 The opportunity was taken to discuss the new genus with Dr. Boulen- 

 ger at the British Museum. He had not at that time received a copy 

 of the paper in which Cacopoides was described. From my verbal 

 description it seemed very probable that the new genus was identical 

 with Boulenger's Kaloula verrucosa. This species resembles the other 

 closely in outward appearance and in coloration, and moreover had 

 been reported recently by Wolterstorff from the neighborhood of 

 Tsingtau in Shantung. 



The finding of an amphibian of the family Engystomatidae as far 

 north as the province of Shantung immediately makes it evident that 

 there was no particular reason to doubt the accuracy of the locality of 

 Cacopoides borealis, which I must confess I did at first. 



Now, thanks to the kindness of Dr. Boulenger, I have two specimens 

 of Kaloula verrucosa from authentic topotype material taken at Yun- 

 nan-fu, as well as a third specimen obtained by purchase and collected 

 there also by Mr. John Graham, the discoverer of the species. So that 

 it becomes possible to present a comparison of this species with the 

 one from Manchuria. 

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