U. S. N. M. 

 No. 



6163.. 

 6543.. 

 11349. 

 34214. 

 34215. 

 34216. 

 34217. 



HEEPETOLOGY OF JAPAT^. 



List of specimens of Megalobatrachus japonicus. 



Age. 



Young 



do 



Half grown «. 



Adult* 



do 



do 



do 



Localitv. 



Japan . 

 do. 



Province Mino. 



do 



do 



do 



11 



Whpneol- i By whom collected 



lected o"" ^'■o™ ^'''i""^ 



lectea. received. 



Colonel Taylor. 

 C. E. Smidt. 



.do ' ' E. S. Morse. 



A. Owston. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



a Description, p. 7. 



6 618 mm. long. 



Superfamily SALAMANDROIDE^E. 



The Salaniandroids fall into three families, namely, the Amby- 

 stomidge, Plethodontidse, and Salamandridae. The Plethodontidse are 

 characterized by the presence of parasphenoid teeth. They do not 

 occur within our area, being confined, with one exception, to the New 

 World. 



The two families found in Japanese territory may be distinguished 

 as follows: 



KEY TO FAMILIES. 



a^ Vomero-palatines prolonged posteriorly over the parasphenoid as two long processes, 

 the teeth placed on the inner side of these forming two parallel or backward 

 diverging series S.\lamandrid.e, p. 11. 



a- Vomero-palatines not prolonged Ijackward over the parasphenoid, the teeth placed 

 on the posterior margin in transverse or posteriorly converging series. 



Ambystomid.e, p. 24. 



Family SALAMANDRID.E. 



The salamanders, with the vomero-palatine teeth extending far 

 backward in two parallel or posteriorly diverging series, are charac- 

 teristic of the palearctic region, especially the Mediterranean subdivi- 

 sion. Three genera only occur in eastern Asia, two of which have 

 been found witliin our territory. Of these, one, Diemictylus, extends 

 into North America. 



The Japanese genera may be distinguished as follows: 



KEY TO GENERA. 



a' Vomero-palatine teeth commencing in front of the line of the choanise; series of 

 isolated, knob-like glands on sides of back, some of these warts pierced by the 

 extremity of the rib; ma.xillary bone reaching the (piadrate; tip of pterygoid in 

 contact with maxillary Tylototriton, p. 12. 



a- Vomero-palatine teeth commencing on a line with, the choanse; no series of isolated 

 knob-like glands on the sides of the back; maxillary bone separated from quadrate 

 and from pterygoid by large intervals Diemictylus, p. 15. 



