Gastrophryne carolinensis 471 



tail is colored like the back and has usually along the middle a prominent 

 horizontal white band which is from 2-7 mm. long. The caudal crests are 

 more or less translucent with prominent blotches of dorsal color which at 

 the tip wholly covers the crests. The crests are normally low. 



"There are no horny mandibles. On the lower side of the mouth there is 

 710 labium and in the position of the lower mandible is a fleshy knob not 

 cornified or differently colored from the surrounding integument. On the 

 upper side of the mouth there is not a normal labium and in preserved speci- 

 mens it looks like two more or less independent sideflaps which meet on the 

 middle line in an emarginate junction. 



"The length of the body is contained 1.43-2.8 in the tail, average 1.8. 

 Width of the body in its own length 1.2-1. 6, average 1.4. Eye lateral, visible 

 from venter and dorsum, and exactly on the lateral edge formed by the flat- 

 tened dorsum and venter of the head and forward part of the body. Spiracle 

 in these spirit specimens undiscoverable and possibly absent in hfe. Anus 

 median; interorbital space 4.50-7.75 mm., and much greater than the distance 

 of the eye from the snout (3.25-5.0 mm.). Width of mouth slightly less 

 than the distance of the eye from snout and 1.6-2.3 in the interorbital dis- 

 tance. Depth of the tail in its own length 2.2-5.4, the range usually 3.2-4.7, 

 average 4. Depth of the muscular part at the base of the tail in the depth 

 of the tail 1.2-1.8 times. Greatest length 37.25 mm. Greatest length of 

 body 12.75 mm. Greatest length of tail 24.50 mm. Greatest depth of tail 6.0." 



In 1920 (p. 32) we wrote "The narrow-mouthed toad, so far as known, 

 transforms the same season during which the eggs are laid. This period was 

 formerly considered to be 90 to 100 days, but Deckert's captives required 

 only 16 days from hatching to transformation, an amazingly short period. 

 The largest of the tadpoles of this species reach a length of i 2/3 inches and 

 are very easily distinguished from those of other species. The body is very 

 flat, and the depth of it is contained i 1/2 times in the width, while other 

 tadpoles have round bodies; there is no spiracle (a mistake); there are no 

 horny -edged mandibles, and the lower lip of ordinary tadpoles is not present, 

 while the upper has either a faint row of teeth or none at all. The color of 

 the tadpole is quite conspicuous. On the back and sides it is a uniform brown 

 or olive black. Along the middle of the musculature of the tail there is a 

 bright, clear, white band one-fourth to one-half inch long. Along either side 

 of the belly there is a similar white line and most of the belly is of this clear 

 white. All in all it is our most remarkable tadpole." 



In 1923 (p. 34) we have Gastrophryne carolinensis as "black flat tadpoles, 

 neither mandibles, not labia, nor labial teeth, the spiracle median and just 

 ahead of anus." By an accident Mrs. Wright discovered the presence of spira- 

 cle by observation on the development of the hind legs wherein they separate 

 the two juxtaposed structures, anus and spiracle, the latter going ahead of 

 the hind legs and the anus remaining behind. 



