74 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 88 



Valle: Rio Calima, near C6rdoba, USNM 145746-55; Camp Carton de Colom- 

 bia, lower Rfo Calima, USNM 149738-40; El Tigre, USNM 151476; Virology 

 Field Station, Rfo Raposo, USNM 151464-82. 



Family Microhylidae 



Frogs with firrnisternal girdles, a tongue, and sacral diapophyses 

 more or less expanded. They have no ribs or intercalary cartilages, 

 and Eustachian tubes, if present, are paired. The larvae lack horny 

 mandibles and labial teeth. 



Key to Colombian Genera of Microhylidae 



a 1 . Tympanum concealed. 

 b 1 . Clavicles present. 



c 1 . Posterior portion of prevomer present Relicti vomer 



c 2 . Posterior portion of prevomer absent Elachistocleis 



b 2 . Clavicles absent. 



c 1 . Palatines present Glossostoma 



c 2 . Palatines absent Ctenophryne 



a 2 . Tympanum distinct Otophryne 



Genus Relictivomer Carvalho 



1954. Relictivomer Carvalho, p. 13 (type species, Hypopachus pearsei Ruthven). 



Generic diagnosis. — Prevomer divided with the posterior portion 

 reduced to a small osseous plate which lies in the palatal region. 

 Palatine bones absent. Clavicle present but short and curved. Pro- 

 coracoid present. Tympanum concealed, snout short and very pointed. 



Only one species is known from Colombia. 



Relictivomer pearsei (Ruthven) 



Figure 1 



1914. Hypopachus pearsei Ruthven, p. 77 (type locality, Fundaci6n, Colom- 

 bia).— Ruthven, 1922, p. 50.— Barbour and Loveridge, 1946, p. 132 — 

 Peters, 1952, p. 18. 



1934. Elachistocleis ovalis (not of Schneider). — Parker, 1934a, p. 121. 



1944. Elachistocleis pearsei. — Dunn, 1944c, p. 524: 1949, p. 19. 



1954. Relictivomer pearsei. — Carvalho, 1954, p. 13. — Gorham, 1963, p. 26. 



Diagnosis. — A microhylid with the tympanum concealed, clavicle 

 and procoracoid present but short and curved, the posterior portion 

 of the prevomer present, palatine bones absent, and a very pointed 

 snout. 



From Otophryne robusta it may be distinguished by having the 

 tympanum concealed; from Ctenophryne geayi by the presence of the 

 clavicle and procoracoid; from Glossostoma aterrimum by the absence 

 of the palatine bone; and from Elachistocleis ovalis by the presence of 

 the posterior portion of the prevomer and by the lighter colored belly, 

 in which the pale of the belly is continuous with the light color in the 

 axillary region so that there is no discrete axillary pale spot. 



