274 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 288 



from intervening localities to be dogmatic about the status of 

 the several nominal forms, although we do agree that marmorata, 

 senicula, and melanargyrea seem to be different and that dasynota 

 is probably a direct synonym of senicula. 



Specimens Examined 



COLOMBIA 

 CaquetX: La Providencia on Rio Orteguaza, MLS 55. 



ECUADOR: Napo-Pastaza Province, Rio Villano, JAP 3729, EPN 1485; 

 cabeceras del Rio Bobonaza, EPN 2601; cabeceras del Rio Capanuari, EPN 

 1431; Rio Llushin, north of Arapicos, EPN 2510-2; Alto Napo, San Jose 1 

 Viejo de Sumaco, EPN 1812-4; Rio Napo, MCZ 4776; "Ecuador," OV 5933. 



18. PHLEBODES group 



The status and relationships of the numerous "small yellow frogs" 

 so common in South America is impossible to determine at the present 

 time. Only for the sake of convenience do we now recognize three 

 groups of these frogs in Colombia, and we feel certain that intensive 

 and extensive studies of these frogs throughout northern South Amer- 

 ica will bring about a rearrangement of these groupings. 



We set off the phlebodes group because it seems to us to be more 

 different from the species in the microcephala group than the species in 

 that group are from one another. The species in both of these groups 

 seem to differ trenchantly from Hyla minuta. H. phlebodes differs from 

 minuta in lacking the white bar above the vent and on the heels, and 

 it differs from frogs in the microcephala group in having a dorsal pat- 

 tern consisting of a bar between the eyes and an hour-glass figure on 

 the back. 



Hyla phlebodes Stejneger 



Figure 27 



1906. Hyla phlebodes Stejneger, p. 817 (type locality, San Carlos, Costa Rica). — 

 Nieden, 1923, p. 253.— Stuart, 1935, p. 39.— Taylor, 1952, p. 888.— Coch- 

 ran, 1961, p. 57. 



1935. Hyla underwoodi. — Stuart, 1935, p. 39 (part) . 



Diagnosis. — A small, yellow frog with a small tympanum (one- 

 third the diameter of eye), little or no pigmentation on thighs, and 

 with the dorsal pattern consisting of a narrow bar between the eyes 

 and an hour-glass shaped mark on the back that is made up of narrow 

 dark lines. 



Among the Colombian frogs, Hyla phlebodes is probably more closely 

 allied to microcephala, mathiassoni, and riveroi. It differs from micro- 

 cephala in having an hour-glass-shaped pattern rather than longitu- 

 dinal stripes and in having a rather distinct interocular bar. From 



