180 PELOBATIDJL 



more or less distinct or bidden under the skin. 

 Fingers free, toes webbed at tbe base and more or 

 less distinctly bordered ; outer metatarsals separated 

 by web. Proximal tarsal bones fused. Vertebras pro- 

 ccelous ; diapophyses of sacral vertebra very strongly 

 dilated ; two condyles for articulation with urostyle. 

 Omosternum cartilaginous; sternum with a bony style. 



This genus includes two species : — P. punctatus, 

 Fitz., of Western Continental Europe, and P. caucasi- 

 cus, Blgr., recently discovered on the Asiatic side of 

 the Caucasus at an altitude of 7000 feet. The latter 

 has been made the type of a distinct genus, Pelody- 

 topsis, by Nikolski, on grounds too trivial to deserve 

 recognition. 



Perhaps this Pelodytes caucasicus may yet be found 

 in Cis-Caucasia, and vield a further addition to the 

 European fauna. It is distinguished from its con- 

 gener in the longer hind limbs, the tibio-tarsal articu- 

 lation reaching the tip of the snout, and the somewhat 

 more posterior position of the groups of vomerine 

 teeth ; the toes are not so strongly fringed in the 

 male, the fore limbs are more robust, and the black 

 horny nuptial excrescences are much more strongly 

 developed on the warts and ridges of the upper sur- 

 faces. 



6. Pelodytes punctatus. 

 (Plate VIII.) 



Rana punctata, Daudin, Hist. Rain. Gren. Crap., p. 51, pi. xvi, 

 fig. 1 (1803), and Hist. Rept., viii, p. 100 (1803). 



Rana plicata, Daudin, 11. cc, pp. 53, 102. 



Rana daudinii, Merrem, Tent. Syst. Ainph., p. 177 (1820). 



Bombinator plicatus, Fitzinger, N. Class. Rept., p. 65 (1826). 



Obstetricans punctatus, Duges, Rech. Osteol. Batr.. p. 7 (1834). 



Alytes punctatus, Tscliudi, Class. Batr., p. 84 (1838). 



Pelodytes punctatus (Fitzinger), Bonaparte, Faun. Ital., Rett. 

 Anf. (1838) ; Dumeril & Bibron, Erp. Gen., viii, p. 463 (1841) ; 

 Thomas, Ann. Sc. Nat. (4), i, 1854, p. 290; Giinther, Cat. 

 Batr. Sal., p. 35 (1858) ; Fatio, Vert. Suisse, iii, p. 353 (1872) ; 

 De Betta, Faun. Ital., Rett. Anf., p. 68 (1874); Scbreiber, 

 Herp. Eur., p. 99 (1875) ; Lataste, Herp. Gironde, p. 242 



