HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 

 List of specimens of Polypedates leucomystax. 



159 



The characters of the larvae of the tailless batrachians of Japan and 

 adjoining territory have received no attention thus far. Boiilen- 

 ger has given the study of the European forms special attention, 

 and Flower has described several eastern Asiatic species. From 

 Boulenger's ke}^ to the European tadpoles" and Flower's descrip- 

 tions it is possible to draw up a general scheme of the Japanese forms, 

 by which at least the genera may be recognized. Upon this basis it 

 will then be comparatively easy for 

 the resident naturalists to gradually 

 extend the key to include all the 

 species. 



It will be necessary for this pur- 

 pose to give a brief account of the 

 morphological characters which are 

 utilized for the distinction of these 

 larvae. The following is therefore 

 condensed from Boulenger's excel- 

 lent chapter on the tadpoles in the 

 work alluded to above. 



Tadpoles for identification are 

 preferably selected after the bud- 

 ding of the hind legs and before the 

 appearance of the front legs. 



By body is meant head and body together, and its longitudinal 

 measurement is taken to 

 tail includes crests. 



By mouth (fig. 154) is 

 beak, not unlike that of 



Fm. lo4.— Open mouth of tadpole of R.\na 



TEMPORARIA. 15 X NAT. SIZE, bo, BUCCAL 

 orifice; }p, LABIAL PAPILL.E; m, UPPER. 

 W?' LOWER mandible; /, SERIES OF TEETH 

 ON UPPER lip; I', SERIES OF TEFTH ON LOWER 



LIP. (Adapted from Proc. Zool. See. 

 London, 1891, pl. xlv, fig. 3a. "i 



the origin of the hind limbs. Depth of 



understood the opening with its horny 

 a cuttlefish, as well as the surrounding, 

 funnel-shaped lip. This may be entirely bordered by fleshy papillae, 

 or these may be restricted to the sides, or to the sides and the lower 

 border. The inner surface of the lip is furnished with ridges armed 

 with series of minute, bristle-like, erect, horny teeth. By drawing 

 an imaginary line across the mandibles, the lip may be divitled into 

 an upper and a lower portion, the series of teeth above the upper 

 mandible being termed upper labial, those below the lower mandible 



oTaill. Batr. Europe, pp. 105-109. 



