674 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF AUSTRALIAN BATRACHIA, 



however, the species made its appearance abundantly, and numbers 

 might have been obtained. Thirteen specimens sent as a sample 

 are all smaller than Mr. Deane's fine example from Narrabri ; and 

 some of them have their fingers and toes extraordinarily worn 

 down as if they had had to burrow under difficulties. My corres- 

 pondent has been unable to obtain any information as to the 

 oviposition and breeding habits of this remarkable toad, which I 

 suspect will prove to be interesting. He tells me, however, tlmt 

 Notaden avoids water, is useless for fish-bait, and he feels sure 

 feeds laro-ely upon ants. In an article in Science Gossip (Feb. 

 1890, p. 37), I found subsequently that an observer in Queensland 

 also refers to the ant-eating propensity of Notaden. 



(1) From Mulwala on the Murray (collected by Mr. T. G. Sloane). 

 Crinia signifera 

 Limnodynastes tasmaniensis 

 dorsalis 

 In addition to the above Mr. Sloane tells me that Hyla aurea is 

 very common at Mulwala, but that he was unable to bring speci- 

 mens. Mr. Sloane has also shown me two specimens of Notaden 

 fiewwe^iu, which have been in his possession since 1880, and which 

 were siven to him as having been obtained at Lalaltee, 26 miles 

 N.W. of Mulwala, but that of his own knowledge he is not certain 

 that such was the case. If this habitat is correct, the occurrence 

 of Notaden so far south is very interesting. 



Mr. Krefi-t (Trans. Phil. Soc. KS.W. 1862-1865 [1866] p. 32) 

 records Limnodynastes dorsalis, Hyla aurea, H. peronii, H. ccerulea, 

 and H. Adelaidensis, as occurring on the Lower Murray, 



At Hay and Wagga, both on the Murrumbidgee, in Sept. and 

 Oct., 1889, 1 noticed that Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, Hyla aurea, 

 H. peronii, and a fourth species whose croak I did not recognise 

 and of which I was unable to obtain specimens, were common ; 

 in addition to which at Wagga I found one specimen of Crinia 

 signifera. At both places the river being high, and the swamps 

 from the backwater being full, it was difiicult to procure specimens, 

 sheltering logs or stones being conspicuously absent. 



