PELOBATES FUSCUS. 247 



the Bukovina. Is unknown in Soiithem and Central Italy, 

 but is supposed to occur in the North. 



Genus PELOBATES. 



Head protected by a bony shield, covered with small 

 aspeiities ; tongue circular, free, and slightly notched on its 

 posterior margin ; palatal teeth in a transverse row, inter- 

 nipted in the centre for a considerable space, placed on a line 

 ^^ith the anterior edge of the nostrils ; ears quite in\dsible on 

 the outside ; the fore-feet with four toes, and no rudiment 

 of a fifth ; hind-feet strongly webbed throughout, almost to 

 the extremities of the toes, and each with a horny tubercle 

 beneath the fifth toe, forming a sort of spur ; no vocal 

 bladder ; on the upper surface of the fore-leg in the male 

 is a large oval gland, pierced by a number of small holes ; 

 no glandular line along the sides of the back, and no parotid 

 glands. Only two species. 



Pelobates fuscus. 



Felohatcs fuscus, Dum. et Bib. vol, viii. p. 477 ; Buon, Faun. Ital. 



(figured). 

 Bufo fuscus, ScHiNZ, Europ. Faun. vol. ii. p. 75. 



Desceiptiox. — Head shorter by one-fourth than the ^vddth 

 of its hinder portion ; rough only on the forehead and 

 crown ; muzzle short, obtuse, rounded at its extremity ; 

 the centre of the head, from between the eyes to the crown, 

 swoUen into a large longitudinal protuberance ; on some 

 of the other parts of the head the skin is thin and tight, 

 so that the granulations on the bone can be distinctly felt 

 through it ; the fore-legs are as long as the body, the hind- 

 legs twice that length ; the length of the spur equals the 

 space between the eyes ; palatine teeth ten in number, five 

 on each side, ^^dth a blank space in the middle ; skin of the 



