482 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 88 



terior surface of forearm and upper arm, and a similar but paler one 

 on outer half of tarsus and outer part of sole of foot; venter pale immac- 

 ulate ecru drab. Throat pouch of male black laterally and anteriorly. 



Remarks. — The female is usually lighter in color than the male, 

 and shows a black spot on each side of the pale oval mark between 

 the shoulders. The throat and most of belly are dark sepia, although 

 occasionally the belly is fairly light with a sprinkling of small dark 

 spots. 



The head length is the most variable proportion in this form, as 

 one expects from the very indistinct posterior tympanic border from 

 which the head length is measured. In comparing the other five 

 critical measurements of the new form with those of typical P. neglec- 

 tus (formerly known as cuvieri) of Brazil, it was found that the total 

 range of neglectus covers that of P. neglectus dunni, while twice the 

 standard error from the mean overlaps, or is separated by a slight 

 interval. 



While Dunn (1944c, p. 512) mentioned the supposed existence of a 

 new species represented by specimens he had collected at Villavicencio 

 in Meta and Carlo de la Hermosa, Boyaca, he considered its close ally 

 to be Physalaemus biligonigerus (Cope) — found from southern Brazil 

 to northern Argentina — apparently because he found more or less 

 well-marked vomerine teeth in his specimens, a character then 

 presumed to distinguish Cope's biligonigerus from all other members 

 of the genus. But biligonigerus has very shovel-shaped metatarsal 

 tubercles, while the feet of the Colombian frog have small tubercles 

 that are only slightly compressed and are not at all shovel-shaped. 

 The wide body, thick legs, and heavily glandular skin of biligonigerus 

 do not suggest the rather slender build, delicate legs, and nearly 

 smooth skin of P. neglectus dunni. 



The new subspecies resembles the nominate form of neglectus, which 

 ranges from Brazil to Argentina. In discussing Brazilian P. neglectus 

 (as cuvieri), the senior author (Cochran, 1951, p. 344) noted that it 

 shows every gradation from a complete absence of vomerine teeth 

 to the presence of such teeth in fairly well-marked patches. The new 

 subspecies resembles it in tins respect. The slight differences noted in 

 the diagnosis seem to be reasonably stable. 



While Medellin frogs are separated by the Eastern Cordillera from 

 other examples of this form, the three frogs in the series ANSP 24113-5 

 (from Medellin) agree well with the holotype from Meta and the other 

 specimens; hence, they are included among the paratypes. None of the 

 Medellin frogs has any trace of vomerine teeth. The third metatarsal 

 tubercle is represented only by a slight enlargement of the tarsal fold, 

 but a pointed tubercle is lacking. 



