318 



RANID2E. 



Skeleton. — Fronto-parietals broad and flat; eth- 

 moid rounded anteriorly ; nasals small, oblique, their 

 posterior border rather convex than concave. Tibia 

 longer than femur, but less markedly so than in 

 R. latastii and R. agilis. Distal phalanges with very 

 strongly developed transverse terminal expansion, 

 T-shaped at the end, this being more conspicuous 

 than in any other European species. 



Measurements or Skeleton (in millimetres). 



? 



15 

 16 



3-5 

 16 

 16 

 14 



9 

 13 

 20 

 25 

 28 

 12 

 24 



Habits. — In its movements this species is some- 

 what intermediate between R. temporaria and R. 

 latastii, being not quite so excitable and agile as the 

 latter, which is fully comparable to R. agilis. The 

 voice of the male during the breeding season may 

 be expressed by geek, geclc, geclc; geclc, geek, uttered 

 in very rapid succession. The breeding season, in 

 the Apennines, falls in the month of March, together 

 with that of R. agilis, which occurs in the same 

 localities. As we have mentioned in the Introduction, 

 the great difference in the spermatozoa of the two 

 species precludes the possibility of their intercrossing 

 any more than in the case of R. arvalis and R. tempo- 

 raria, which differ to an equal degree. 



Tadpole (PL III, fig. 4). — The tadpole of R. grseca, 

 although more nearly resembling that of R. temporaria 

 than any other European species, differs from all its 

 congeners in having the mouth quite as wide as the 



