Ampbibiaus and Eeptiles of Mexico. 305 



ridges, bat on tlie middle of the ventral surface is confined to the 

 grooves except on the cliin, throat and tail wliich it covers uniformly. 

 The middle of the belly, witli the exception of the gTooves, is a 

 pale bluish violet (0496). 



Only 2 specimens of this apodal amphibian were observed by 

 US but this is to be attributed to the secretive habits of the species 

 which is apparently not uncommon in the region. One specimen was 

 foimd by the writer in an ant nest beneath a decaying stump in 

 a grove on the prairie. The other was found early in tlie monüng-, 

 crawling along a guarda raya in the cane fields. The Indians 

 told US that individuals are offen turned out by the plows, and 

 Mr. La Rue informed us that he has seen them very offen early 

 in the morning crawling through the wet grass, but never later in 

 the day. It tlius seems that wliile they are mostly subterranean in 

 habits they are accustomed to move about to a considerable extent 

 on the surface of the ground at night, at least during the rainy 

 season. 



Spelerpes variegatus (Geay). 



A Single specimen taken at Cuatotolapam. 



The yellow is present as a dorsal band that is only broken 

 up on the head, by a few small spots on the nape and by two small 

 Spots near the edge on the back. In life this band was, on the 

 body orange yellow (177) in the middle, shading into pale yellow 

 (241) on the sides, and on the tail light orange (141). 



This specimen was found among the leaves in the woods along 

 La Laja Creek. It had in its mouth the reraains of a ground beetle. 

 In this habitat the yellow dorsal band has a highly concealing 

 function. It is of almost exactly the same color as the fallen leaves 

 among which the animal is found, so that if any part of the back 

 becomes exposed (as it probably frequently does) when the animal 

 is crawling about it is inconspicuous. 



Rana aiisfricola Cope. 



15 specimens at Cuatotolapam. 



Our material agrees closely with the descriptions of the R. le- 

 conti of various authors (not of Baird and Girard). In life the 

 colors of five specimens was as follows: ground color above dark 

 brownish olive (135, 155), occasionally speckled with bright green 

 (331) ; stripe on canthus rostralis and dorsal spots black or blackish, 



