Dr. A. Giinther on the Tailless Batrachians, 67 



II. Opisthoglossa platydactyla. 



1 . "With maxillary teeth and perfectly-developed ear : Hylina. 



2. With maxillary teeth and imperfectly-developed ear : Mi- 



crhylina. 

 (3. Without maxillary teeth, and with imperfectly-developed 



ear : not known.) | 



4. Without maxillary teeth, and with perfectly-developed 



ear : Hylaplesina. 



For the division of these sections into families I use : — 



1 . The absence or presence ofparatoids. 



2. The form of the diapophysis of sacral vertebra. 



3. The absence or presence of a web between the toes. 



I consider the latter character as the most subordinate of the three, 

 and I have used for the systematical arrangement only those ag- 

 gregates of cryptcE, which are found on the shoulder and generally 

 are called paratoids. Similar glandular aggregates are found on 

 other parts of the body ; and having had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing some new examples of such large glands, I think it useful to give 

 an account of them in all the species. 



In the genus Pleurodema a large gland is situated on the loins, in 

 the males of Pelobates on the upper arm, in Limnodynastes dorsalis* 

 and Bufo calamita on the calves. 



In other Batrachians the glands are situated on the shoulder, being 

 either prominent and conspicuous, or hidden. 



1. Anura with prominent paratoids are — Alytes, Scaphiopus, 

 Uperoleia, Bufo, Otilophus and Phyllomedusa. 



2. In other Anura the cryptse are accumulated on the shoulder, 

 but do not form a prominent gland, and the aggregate becomes vi- 

 sible only by an incision in the skin, the structure of the paratoid 

 being the same : as in Heleioporus^ Pelodryas, and Rhinophrynus. 

 It is far more peculiar in Kalophrynus, which offers quite a smooth 

 surface of the skin ; and not only on the shoulders, but on the whole 

 surface of the back, the skin is densely crowded with large cryptse, 

 together forming a large dorsal paratoid. 



Having now gone through the most important characters upon 

 which I base the division of the Opisthoglossa, I add the following 

 tabular arrangement, which will show at once the families thus 

 created, their natural relationship, and the parallelism of more remote 

 families and characters of forms which may be discovered. The ver- 

 tical divisions show their agreement in the anatomical, the horizontal 

 ones in the zoological characters. 



* In this species I have only had the opportunity of examining the males. 



.fi* 



