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DESCRIPTION OF A NEW CYSTIGNATHOID FROG 

 FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. 



By J. J. Fletcher. 



In March, 1887, Mr. A. G. Hamilton kindl}^ sent me a large 

 and remarka'ble frog ((J) from the Blue JMts., new to me, whose 

 systematic position it was a somewhat perplexing matter to .settle. 

 With the tympanum distinct, the vomerine teeth between the 

 inner nostrils, and the pupil vertical, it was evidently very nearly 

 allied to Heleiojyoriis and Cliiroleptes as at present defined — and 

 to one apparently about as closely as to the other, yet without 

 being satisfactorily referable to either, for the first finger is not 

 opposite to the others whereas the tympanum is very distinct. 

 As only one specimen was forthcoming, and it was not possible 

 to decide how far the distinctness of the tympanum was merely 

 an individual character ; and also as H. alhopunctatuSy Gr., had 

 been recorded by two European authors as a Sydney frog — as I 

 now think on erroneous grounds — the best course seemed to be 

 to refer Mr. Hamilton's frog provisionally and with some doubt 

 to Gray's species, and I accordingly did so. 



Some time afterwards I had under observation, for the first 

 time, living specimens of what was evidently Chiroleptes j^^ctty- 

 cephalus, Gthr., and one of C. australis, Gr. ; and in these t 

 noticed that the pupil was horizontal and not vertical as men- 

 tioned in the B. M. Catalogue. (,)n sending a well-preserved 

 S}>ecimen to Mr. G. A. Boulenger with a statement of my diffi- 

 culty, that gentleman with his usual courtesy kindly looked into 

 the matter, and he h.as recently informed me that a horizontal 

 and not a vertical pupil is correctly attributable to Chirolej^tes. 

 This point being settled, it is now clear that Mi\ Hamilton's frog 

 is more closely allied to Ueleioporus than to Chiroleptes, as indeed 

 from the more striking resemblance to the former in habit one 

 instinctively felt. 



