FROGS OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL — COCHRAN 83 



definitely prolonged in most examples, in a few it is almost attenuate 

 in its extreme length, while in the smaller and younger specimens it is 

 more rounded and shorter. The webbing and length of fingers and 

 toes do not vary much, and the heavy vomerine teeth and the elon- 

 gate notched tongue are also quite characteristic of every specimen. 

 The color pattern is subject to only slight changes, except that of a 

 dark ground color to a pale one. The darker irregular transverse 

 dorsal stripes may be wide or narrow, but the distinctive dark area 

 along the loreal region and above the shoulder is a constant feature, 

 as are the light round spots on the posterior femur and around the 

 gi'oin. The elongate snout gives the species almost the appearance 

 of a Leptodaciylus. It is one of the easiest of all Brazilian hylids to 

 recognize. 



Some examples identified as H. albopunctata (MZUM) from British 

 Guiana have the posterior femur dark and immaculate. Neither 

 Boulenger nor Nieden mention the presence of spots on the posterior 

 femur. As these seem to be uniformly present in all the Brazilian 

 specimens at hand, it may be possible to separate the northern form 

 as a subspecies if the lack of spotting proves to be constant. 



Remarks. — A frog from Sao Paulo, ANS 14105, formerly identified 

 as Hyla punctata, is apparently H. albopunctata. With the amount of 

 variation evident in the specim.ens of albopunctata I have examined, it 

 is obvious that the specific distinctions mentioned by Boulenger and 

 Nieden are insuJEcient to separate the two species. Only a careful 

 comparison of individuals of the original material on. which the two 

 names are based can determine satisfactorily whether or not the two 

 forms are distinct. 



This species was found near the Country Club not far from Bello 

 Horizonte in Minas Gerais, in a moist meadow where the seepage from 

 a dam made the spot very boggy. It was not as active as most of its 

 relatives, and was caught rather easily at night by holding a flashlight 

 in front of its face. It was likewise taken at night in the aquatic plants 

 bordering Lagoa Santa. Its voice consists of two strong, high-pitched 

 notes jwah, jwah, followed by a low guttural aw. Adults usually 

 are found in the water on lily leaves, and not as a rule in banana 

 trees. No eggs are known. The two metamorphic young from 

 Lassance (USNM 98126-7) were light green with darker median 

 spots on the middorsal region when first collected. 



H. albopunctata can be confused with descriptions of H. crepitans, 

 but in reality the two species are not closely related, as albopunctata 

 has a much more elongate snout, smaller disks, and a particular color 

 pattern not found in true crepitans. 



