42 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 88 



belly and lower limb surfaces marbled with coarse black and white 

 spots. 



Remarks. — According to Parker (1935, p. 506), the glandular — or 

 granular — dorsal surface is a distinguishing feature of Phyllobates 

 femoralis, separating it readily from the smooth-backed P. inguinalis, 

 with which it had been confused. The axillary and inguinal spots of 

 femoralis are pink in life. Cope does not mention such spots in his 

 original description, but some light areas in these regions are still 

 perceptible in the type specimen. 



P. femoralis is recognizable by the combination of a granular back 

 and a peculiar ventral coloration, dark gray or black throat, chest, 

 and anterior belly — at least in the males — and the heavily reticulated 

 surfaces of the posterior belly and lower leg. The back is very granular 

 in most of the specimens examined. 



The heel reaches to the center or anterior corner of eye in about 

 95 percent of the specimens at hand, and to the posterior corner of 

 eye in the others. The coefficient of variability in the head width and 

 hand length — 9.2 and 10.6 — in the series of 16 examples examined 

 indicates that the series is too small for an adequate estimate of 

 variation in the critical measurements. 



Specimen8 Examined 

 COLOMBIA 



Amazonas: Puerto Narifio, MLS 4, 4a, 18; Leticia, UF 10016. 



Caldas: Villa Maria, USNM 146S63-6. 



Caqtjeta: Florencia, USNM 146872-3; Morelia, ANSP 25370-1. 



Meta: Acacias, south of Villavicencio, MLS 199; Buenavista, CNHM 81810; 



Carlo Guapaya, Sierra de la Macarena, USNM 147268. 

 Putumayo: Mocoa, MCZ 33275-7 (tadpoles); Umbria, CNHM 61790. 

 Valle: Virology Field Station, Rio Raposo, USNM 151382. 

 BRITISH GUIANA: Kartabo, USNM 118075. 



PERU: Ceja de Montana, Huanuco, JP 0408a-b; Domo Santa Clara, Orellana, 

 USNM 127202; Quebrada Aqua Dulce, USNM 127210-3. 



Phyllobates mertensi Cochran and Goin 



Plate 6g-i 



1964. Phyllobates mertensi Cochran and Goin, p. 255 (type locality, Quintana, 

 near Popayan, Cauca). 



Diagnosis. — Resembles Phyllobates chocoensis and P. bocagei in 

 having a thickset body, a short, broad snout, and an indistinct light 

 diagonal stripe — or traces of such a stripe — across the side to the 

 groin. Differs from these and from all other Colombian species of 

 Phyllobates in having a very short tibia (between 35 and 42 percent 

 of the total length) with the heel reaching a point between eye and 

 posterior border of tympanum. 



