SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 101 



tion of a lateral series of enlarged warts; first fingers slightly shorter than second; 

 toes less than half webbed; subarticular tubercles single; two very well-devel- 

 oped metatarsal tubercles ; a tarsal fold ; back and sides covered with numerous 

 warts, varying greatly in size, some of the lateral warts sUghtly spinose, others 

 smooth; lower surface with smaller warts; upper surface of hands and feet 

 almost smooth. 



Colour (in Ufe) : — Variegated brown with dark, almost black streaks and 

 spots; a dirty yellow streak on the parotoid and along the lateral series of 

 enlarged warts; elsewhere on the sides scattered spots of dull yellow; lower 

 surfaces paler yellowish. 



Dimensions: — Tip of snout to vent 69 mm. 



Tip of snout to posterior edge of tympanum 20 mm. 



Greatest width of head 24 . 5 mm. 



Fore leg from axilla 33 mm. 



Hind leg from vent 64 mm. 



Bufo emjmsus belongs to a small and very pecuhar group of toads. It is 

 most closely related to Bufo gutturosus Latreille from Haiti, less closely to Bufo 

 lemur Cope from Porto Rico and Bufo turpis Barbour of Virgin Gorda. The 

 species from Haiti and Porto Rico were long confoiuided with each other but are 

 really very distinct. Bufo lemur reaches a much greater size than the Haitian 

 Sapo de concha, which in turn is larger than B. empusus. This species has not 

 been observed in Oriente and it is apparently entirely confined to western Cuba 

 where terrain suitable to its pecuUar habits may be found. The related toads 

 of Haiti and Porto Rico have apparently more or less the habits usual to species 

 of Bufo. The following account records the discovery of a colony of the toads 

 near Herradura in the flat plains region of eastern Pinar del Rio Province. The 

 great number of adults found in the colony were remarkably uniform in size, 

 the measurements given being typical. 



"Gundlach found this species, so rare in collections, rather common locally in the 

 Cienaga de Zapata, in the jurisdiction of Colon, in the savannas near Los Ciegos, and Los 

 Palacios in the Vuelto Abajo region of the Province of Pinar del Rio. I was able to obtain 

 a splendid series in some plains about five miles northeast of Herradura, also in the Province 

 of Pinar del Rio. I should never have learned of theii" existence had it not been for the aid 

 given me by an intelligent young Cuban, Sr. Lucio Alfonso. In response to my inquiry 

 regarding the occurrence of the "Sapo de Concha," he took me to an upland clayej' pasture 

 near by, which had recently been burned over. Scattered thickly over this whole area were 

 the mouths of a great number of small burrows. These were evidently of two sorts, for the 

 openings of some were carefully rumned with smoothly patted clay, while the others were 



