FROGS OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL — COCHRAN 99 



USNM 5403 and 12160, are in very good condition, and leave no 

 room for doubt that it was really an example of the same species 

 which served as a basis for Boulenger's figure and description of his 

 Hyla spegazzinii. 



The male of raniceps, instead of having simply a knoblike spur 

 usually ending in a large or small thumb spine on the first finger, is 

 often equipped with a heavy semicircular excrescence or pad in place 

 of the knob and spur. Some individuals, such as USNM 98818 from 

 Bahia, have a small knob as well as the semicircular pad. All examples 

 of raniceps have a very heavy fold across the chest between the 

 axillae. A paratype of H. megapodia, USNM 102687, sent to the 

 U. S, National Museum by Dr. Miranda-Ribeiro, is very decidedly 

 raniceps in all such characters as extreme length of leg, webbing 

 of toes and fingers, presence of a chest fold, granulations on belly, 

 position of vomerine teeth, coloration of posterior femur, and presence 

 of a sharp-edged, disldilce thumb pad. The bodily measurements of 

 this paratype of megapodia fall well within the variational limits of 

 those of raniceps. 



Specimens examined 



BRAZIL: MCZ 374, Rio Puty. 



Bahia: Bom Jardin, USNM 98818, Dias, Apr. 13, 1935. 



CearX: Fortaleza, USNM 109159-62, von Ihering, 1936. 



Mato Gkosso: Urucum, near Corurabd, BM 1928,1.12.30, Collenette. 



MiNAs Gerais: Janudria, MCZ 1532 (3). 



ParX: Ilha Maraj6, MCZ 12124r-5. 



Pernambuco: USNM 57759, Hurter, December 1895. 



Rio Grande do Norte: Natal, USNM 81124, 97029-38, 97047, 1928. 

 PARAGUAY: USNM 5408, 12172 (2; cotypes of Hypsihoas raniceps), Page. 

 Rio Vermejo, USNM 5403 (4), 12160 (cotypes of Hypsihoas raniceps), Page. 



4. minuta — group 



The minuta group — b. bipunctata, decipiens, elongata, g. goughi, 

 g. baileyi, leucophyllata, minuta, nana and werneri — together with the 

 rubra group are quite perplexing, since the extent of individual 

 variation in some of the species of each is truly astonishing. In 

 Group 4, for instance, the only species which maintains a fair degree 

 of uniformity throughout its range in southeastern Brazil is bipunctata 

 bipunctata. The others present a surprising diversity of ov^erlapping 

 structural features or color phases, many of which were formerly 

 accorded specific rank, minuta alone having been known under no less 

 than four additional names. 



All the members of this group are smooth-skinned, and all are small 

 in size, between 20 and 27.5 mm. for maximum length, excepting 



