396 



BATRACII1A AND REPTILIA FROM TEXAS. 



The JH. v uncus has the following characters: 



Head small. Body large. Limbs short. Muzzle scarcely longer than 

 diameter of eye, projecting a little beyond mouth border. A dermal 

 groove across head at posterior borders of eyelids, and one from below 

 posterior canthus of eye to shoulder. Another across the thorax from 

 the inferior origin of one humerus to the other. Skin everywhere 

 smooth. Tympanic drum invisible. When the anterior limb is ex- 

 tended the end of the forearm reaches the end of the muzzle. The 

 distal end of the tarsus reaches the anterior base of the humerus, and 

 the end of the second toe reaches the end of the muzzle when the hind 

 limb is extended. The third linger is rather elongate, and the lengths 

 of the fingers are in order, beginning with the shortest, 1-2-4-3, the 

 second and fourth being equal. In the posterior foot the lengths are, 

 beginning with the shortest, 1-2-5-3-4, the second and fifth being 

 about equal, and the third a good deal shorter than the fourth. The 

 palmar tubercles are not very distinct. At the distal end of the tarsus 

 there are two large subequal sharp-edged tuberosities. The edge of 

 the internal is oblique, that of the external transverse. Distinct small 

 tubercles under the articulations of the phalanges. The femur is almost 

 entirely inclosed in the integument of the body. 



The tongue is large, and forms an elongate flat ellipse. The internal 

 nostrils are anterior, and are a little farther apart than the external 

 nostrils. The latter are nearly terminal in position. 



The color is light brown, or grayish-brown, sometimes tinged with 

 olive, and there is generally a pale median vertebral line. There is a 

 wide band on each side of a paler tint, extending from the orbit to near 

 the groin, it is sometimes only indicated by a line of black specks, 

 forming a border above and below. A pale line from eye to front of 

 humerus. Numerous rather large black spots on the groin, and numer- 

 ous smaller ones on the posterior face of the femur, between which the 

 color is often dark red. Small black spots on posterior faces of tibia 

 and astragalus, anterior edge of tibia, and posterior edge of humerus. 

 Digits with a light spot at each phalangeal articulation. Belly yellow- 

 ish, with or without a faint coarse reticulation of a darker color. 



Rather abundant. 

 Engystoma carolinense Holbr. Three specimens. 

 Rana virescens Ralm. E. halecina "Kami," Schreber. Three specimens. 



