246 HYLIML 



Family 4.— HYLID^E. 



Vertebras procoelous, without autogenous ribs ; dia- 

 pophyses of sacral vertebra dilated. Upper jaw 

 toothed. Terminal phalanges claw-shaped, swollen 

 at the base. 



The arboreal frogs which constitute this family are 

 nearly related to the toads, from which they differ in 

 the presence of teeth in the upper jaw, and in the 

 shape of the terminal phalanges, supporting adhesive 

 disks of a special nature,* by which they are enabled to 

 climb with great facility. The Hylidse embrace thirteen 

 genera, and nearly equal the Ranidae in the large 

 number of the species. They are absent from tropical 

 and South Africa and Madagascar, and from the 

 greater part of the Indian region. As regards the 

 number of species, they are few in the Palsearctic 

 region, more numerous in North America, and most 

 abundantly represented in Central and South America 

 and Australia. The type genus is the only European 

 representative. 



7. Hyla. 



Laurenti, Syn. Kept., p. 32 (1868). — Partim. 



Pupil horizontal. Tongue entire or slightly nicked, 

 more or less free behind. Vomerine teeth. Tympanum 

 distinct or hidden. Fingers free or webbed; toes 

 webbed ; tips of fingers and toes dilated into distinct 

 disks; outer metatarsals bound together. Omosternum 

 and sternum cartilaginous. 



About 160 species are known. 



The distribution of the single European species 

 and its varieties over nearly the whole of the Pala3- 

 arctic region is shown in the accompanying map. 



* Described above, p. 15. . 



