Barbour: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Isle of Pines. 307 



courses after dark with a good light the catibos may be seen swimming 

 slowly about beneath the surface. I have never seen one emerge even 

 part of its length from the water, and they rise to breathe but rarely. 

 The members of this genus are the most strictly aquatic reptiles I 

 know, quite equalling the Hydrophids in this respect. I have never 

 heard of their eggs being found, and I have often wished I knew whether 

 they come ashore to lay. I presume that they do. 



23. Hyla septentrionalis Boulenger. 



This very common tree-frog, so widespread in Cuba and the Ba- 

 hamas, occurs also in the Isle of Pines. Link preserved a large series. 

 The species has been renamed several times, the types of the synonyms 

 representing different variations in the form of the casque. This 

 is the frog used in Cuban biological laboratories for dissection or 

 experimental purposes in place of the genus Rana, used in the United 

 States and in Europe. The creature is most commonly caught in 

 banana-groves and is often called "La Rana de los Platanales," or "La 

 Rana Platanera." Their voices may be heard on any rainy night and 

 often on a showery afternoon as well, sounding like a rope being pulled 

 in jerks through a block which is badly in need of oiling. 



24. Bufo peltacephalus Tschudi. 



The giant toad, sapo, as it is universally called, is found in many 

 different situations. Not far from Nueva Gerona we found a number 

 under the fallen trunks of some royal palms which had been wastefully 

 cut down to use their leaves for thatching. One trunk sheltered severu 

 enormous fellows, which were apparently living in peace and harmony 

 with a numerous company of brightly colored harvest-men (Pha- 

 langida). These toads are rarely met with abroad even at night and 

 by daylight are always found hidden in the mouths of drains, under 

 logs or stones, or in similar situations. It is by far the most abundant 

 and widely distributed member of the genus in the Cuban region. 

 There is no difference between specimens in the fine series before me 

 procured by Mr. Link and the host of Cuban specimens in the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology. 



25. Bufo empusus Cope. 



Link's series from the Isle of Pines has been compared with speci- 

 mens from Herradura, Pinar del Rio, Cuba. They are the same. I 



