FROGS OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL — COCHRAN 281 



WOeneric diagnosis. — Pupiljhorizontal. Tongue subcirciilar, free 

 behind. Vomerine teeth. Tympanum distinct. Fingers free, toes 

 nearly free, the tips dilated into regular disks, the upper surface of 

 which bears two rounded cutaneous divisions. Outer metatarsals 

 united. Omosternum cartilaginous; sternum a cartilaginous plate. 

 Terminal phalanges T-shaped. 



The species Elosia do not differ very greatly from one another, yet 

 the individuals of each species, where a series has been obtained, have 

 been found to be fairly uniform in most of the characters which in 

 some genera of frogs such as Hyla are subject to a very great degree of 

 variability. The three recognized species of the genus Elosia (E. 

 divisa Wandolleck appears to belong to the synonymy of Eleutherodac- 

 tylus guentheri Steindachner) are separated by the following key. 



Key to species of Elosia of southeastern Brazil 



a'. A glandular dorsolateral line; skin smooth lateristrigata (p. 284) 



a*. No glandular dorsolateral line; skin more or less roughened by warts. 



b^. Warts confined mostly to sides of body and legs; hand and foot 



shorter nasus (p. 287) 



62. Warts thickly scattered, especially on anterior part of back; hand and foot 

 longer aspera (p. 282) 



Many normally smooth individuals appear to have a roughened skin; 

 encysted ectoparasites such as Cercaria were very abundant on almost 

 every Elosia examined. 



Girard's two specific names, E. bufonium and E. vomerina, were first 

 published in 1853, with an amended description and plates five years 

 later. Ever since, these descriptions have perplexed herpetologists, 

 because subsequent collections of frogs from Rio de Janeiro failed to 

 show any individuals that corresponded fully to the descriptions and 

 figures of these two species. 



A careful study of the cotypes of vomerina proves that they are in 

 reality synonymous with Crossodactylus gavdichaudii (Dumeril and 

 Bibron). The vomerine teeth, said in the original description to be 

 "disposed on a transverse line, interrupted in its middle, and placed 

 on a level with the anterior margin of the inner nostrils", appear, in 

 freshly collected specimens and in the cotypes of vomerina as well, to 

 be merely a heavy ridge slanting inwards from the anterior borders of 

 the choanae. Furthermore the first finger of the larger of the two 

 cotypes, USNM 15481, shows a group of black spines, which is a 

 distinguishing feature of Crossodactylus never found in Elosia. 



A mix-up occurs also in the original description, where Girard (1853) 

 states that vomerina has the legs "long and slender" when as a matter 

 of fact they are relatively short. This error is still perpetuated in his 

 (1858) amended description, which otherwise agrees quite well with 



