I 84 ANURA 



CHAP. 



by high and steep walls of sand, the breeding places of large 

 colonies of sand-martins. During the months of May and June 

 they are found in the shallow water, running about on the mud, 

 sometimes sw^imming, in which they are not very proticient, and 

 rarely diving. But they spend most of the time on land. Early 

 in October they climb up and enter the holes of the sand-martins, 

 or they dig large, deep burrows for hibernation, and the old 

 males are the first to disappear. 



B. mauritanica s. pantherina. — The " Pantherine Toad " is one 

 of the few African species, and is one of the prettiest of all toads. 

 The skin is almost smooth, although provided with porous glands. 

 The parotoids are large, but flat ; large glandular complexes on 

 the legs or arms are absent. The tympanum is very distinct. 

 The upper parts are adorned with a delicate pattern of dark- 

 edged, rich brown or olive patches upon a light, buff-coloured 

 ground ; the under parts are uniform white ; the male has a 

 subo'ular vocal sac. The total lenoth is 3 to 4 inches. This 

 beautiful species is one of the gentlest, and it becomes tame enough 

 to lap up food whilst sitting on one's hand. It lives entirely 

 upon insects, prefers shade and dusky light, and utters a sound 

 like " kooh-rr." It is a native of North-Western Africa, Algiers, 

 and ]\I(irocco. In the rest of Africa, from Egypt to the Cape, 

 Senegambia to Abyssinia, it is represented by B. regularis. This 

 species has often little spiny tubercles upon the warts, and 

 occasionally a light vertebral line ; the colour of the upper parts 

 either closely resembles that of the previous species, or it is 

 uniform liglit lirown, wliile the under parts are whitish, or 

 variegated with brownish patches. West African specimens are 

 the smallest, only 2 inches long : those of the Cape are the 

 largest, reaching 5 to 6 inches. 



The next two genera approach the Engystomatinae, and 

 tliere])y lead from the arciferous towards the firmisternal type. 

 The epicoracoid cartilages are narrow, and they scarcely overlap, 

 so that by a further step in this direction they could easily fuse 

 into tlie firmisternal condition. Another bond between these 

 two genera and the Engystomatinae is their habits, they being 

 ant-eaters of an extremely stout appearance, with exclusively 

 short limbs and very small heads. 



Myohatrachus gouldl, living in Australia, has a smooth skin, 

 brown above, lighter bene.ath, and is about 2 inches lonu;. 



