7ol. XXIX, pp. 85-86 April 4, 1916 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



GENERAL NOTES. 



NEW GENERIC NAME FOR A TREE-TOAD FROM NEW GUINEA. 



In 1882 Dr. G. A. Boulenger described a new genus and species of tree- 

 toad from Ecuador as Nyctimaniis rugiceps (Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., 

 pp. 421, 422). The main generic difference relied on to distinguish it from 

 Hyla was the erect pupil. In 1897 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) Vol. 19, p. 

 12) he described another species, from New Guinea, as Nyctimantis 

 papua. There is not the faintest probability that these two tree-toads 

 are directly phylogenetically related, thus constituting a natural genus, 

 and as they differ in N. rugiceps having the derm of the top of the 

 head involved in the cranial ossification, while in N. papua it is free, I 

 propose as a generic term for the latter the name Nyctimystes. The 

 New Guinean tree-toad should then stand as Nyctimystes papua. 



— Leonhard Stejneger. 



NOTES ON AMPHISB^NIAN NOMENCLATURE. 



As it is necessary for me to use the names in a forthcoming lecture, I 

 wish to place on record the following changes : 



The generic name Anops Bell, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1833, p. 99, for 

 the South American amphisbsenid lizard A. kingii, is preoccupied by 

 Anops Oken, 1815, for a crustacean. I therefore propose to substitute for 

 it Anopsibsena. The generic name Baikia is not available, as I consider 

 the B. africana as representing a distinct genus. 



Likewise, the specific name of the Cuban amphisbsenid usually known 

 as Amphigbsena punctata Bell, 1828, is preoccupied by Amphisbsena 

 punctata Wied, 1825, from Brazil. I find, moreover, that the genus 

 Cadea is a valid one, so that the Cuban species may in the future be 

 known as Cadea blanoides. 



— Leonhard Stejneger. 



18— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX. 1916. (85) 



