212 BUF0NID.2E. 



and the islands of the Pacific. Only three species 

 are found in Europe. 



Bnfo vulgaris has most of the subarticular tubercles 

 under the toes in pairs, no tarsal fold, the interorbital 

 space at least as broad as the upper eyelid, and no 

 vocal sac. B. viridis has the subarticular tubercles 

 of the toes single, a tarsal fold, the interorbital 

 space usually distinctly narrower than the upper eyelid, 

 and the male is provided with a vocal sac. B. calamita 

 differs from both by its shorter limbs, which preclude 

 it from leaping; the subarticular tubercles of the 

 toes are in pairs as in B. vulgaris, but a tarsal fold is 

 usually present, and the interorbital space is narrow; 

 the males have a vocal sac, which is larger than in 

 B. viridis, and, when blown, bears great resemblance 

 to that of the common tree-frog. The buccal opening 

 to the sac is a single slit, either on the right side or 

 on the left, as shown on fig. 78, p. 211. 



Owino' to the fact that B. viridis and calamita are 

 much more nearly related to each other than to 

 B. vulgaris , Fatio and other authors have instituted 

 two different sections or sub-genera, that including 

 the two former species being designated Rubeta, the 

 other Phryne. An examination of all the species of 

 the genus shows such a division to be untenable. 

 Still less would one feel inclined to follow the view of 

 Cope, who, whilst uniting B. vulgaris and B. viridis 

 in the genus Bufo, isolated B. calamita as Epidalea, 

 the latter genus being founded solely on the large size 

 of the fronto-parietal fontanelle. 



The annexed map shows the interesting distribution 

 over the Palaearctic region of the three species under 

 consideration ; Bnfo vulgaris extending through nearly 

 the whole region, whilst the two closely allied repre- 

 sentative species, B. viridis and B. calamita., occupy the 

 former the East, the latter the West, their respective 

 ranges overlapping on a considerable portion of 

 Central Europe. 



