Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. ^Reptiles. 



Plate 53. 

 RANOIDEA AUREA (Less. sp.). 

 The Green and Golden Bell-Frog. 



[Genus RANOIDEA (Tschddi). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order Batrachia. 

 Sub-ord. Anoura. Section Opisthoglossa. Fam. Hylidae.) 



Gen. Char. — Vomerine teeth forming two small groups between the inner nostrils. Tongue 

 rounded, about one-third or less of its length free, very slightly notched behind. Ear-drum 

 large, distinct. Eustachian tubes large ; fingers and toes depressed, each terminated by a small 

 oval disc, toes webbed, fingers not webbed. A subgular vocal sac in the male. Abdomen and 

 under side of thighs glandulous ; ends of transverse processes of sacral vertebra? not dilated. 

 Australia.] 



Description. — Form: body broad, ovate, depressed; head semielliptical, longer 

 than broad, flattened above in front, concave between the very prominent eyes, which 

 are less than the diameter of orbits apart; nostrils small, a little nearer the front edge 

 of snout than edge of eye ; ear-drum large, oval, nearly as long as the diameter of 

 iris ; about one-fifth of the length of the tongue free, very slightly notched behind. 

 Legs stout, well developed ; fingers with a slight membranous border, depressed, 

 free from web ; terminal discs small, suboval ; a conspicuous glandular tubercle under 

 each joint; 3rd finger longest, inner one shortest, swollen, and with a large trans- 

 verse soft tubercle at base, palm of the hand crowded with coarse glandular tubercles ; 

 soles of hind feet smooth, toes slender, with small terminal discs, smaller than 

 those of the fingers, and a smaller tubercle under each joint, a larger oblique tubercle 

 at base of inner toe ; webs extending to the terminal tubercles of all the toes except 

 the 4th or longest one, which is only webbed to the penultimate joint; a narrow 

 membranous ridge extends along the inner lower edge of the tarsus ; sides, abdomen, 

 under side of arms, tarsus, and hinder part of thighs on under side closely covered 

 with small, crowded, glandular tubercles ; front of head, cheeks, and midline of 

 back smooth, about 4 irregular lines of large tubercles on each side of back, varying 

 in size, shape, and disposition ; a thick, tubercular, glandular ridge of a yellow color 

 along each side of the body, extending from the middle of the snout over each eye 

 and ear-drum, converging again a,t posterior end of bo'dy ; smaller one from angle 

 of mouth to shoulder. There are about 30 minute teeth in a single row on each 

 side of upper jaw, and about 6 vomerine teeth in a little transverse group on each 

 side, very slightly separated in the middle, and extending close to inner edge of the 

 internal nostrils. Color: usually a brilliant verdigris- or pea-green above, and 

 pearly-, purplish-, or brownish-white below; the soles of the feet and palms of the 

 hands purplish-grey ; hinder part of thighs and hind legs rust3'^-orange, with lighter 

 glandular granules ; a black streak extends from the nostril to the eye, and extend- 

 ing from behind the eye over the ear-drum, a variable way down the side, under the 

 glandular ^-ellow lateral streak, sending off a branch towards back of shoulder ; 

 above this constant black streak is an equally constant yellow one, the two lateral 

 ones beginning at one point near middle of front e^i'^e of snout, diverging thence 

 over the eye and extending along the sides of back, with thickened i)rominences, 

 converging towards hind end of body; a similar yellow streak extends to angle of 

 mouth, along upper lip, from about the vertical of the nostril ; l)esides this lateral 



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