A MONOGRAPH OF THE SOUTH ASIAN, 

 PAPUAN, MELANESIAN AND AUSTRA- 

 LIAN FROGS OF THE GENUS 



RAN a: 



By G. A. BouLENGER, LL.D., D.Sc, F.R.S., etc. 

 {Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum). 



The species of the large genus Rana, now about 195 in num- 

 ber/ have long been in need of a thorough revision. In the 

 following pages I propose to deal with those inhabiting the Indo- 

 Malay Region, or rather Southern Asia, to which I have added 

 the few which extend the range of the genus to the Papuan and 

 Melanesian islands and the extreme north of Australia (Cape 

 York). I have taken as the northern and western limit of the 

 area dealt with a line drawn from Palestine through Northern 

 Persia, the Hindoo-Coosh (Hindu Kush) and Karakorum mountains 

 to and including the Yang-tse-Kiang, a limit answering better the 

 requirements of a survey of the distribution of Tailless Batrachians 

 than those usually adopted for other groups of animals. 



The collection of the British Museum has greatly increased of 

 late and affords ample material for the study I have undertaken ; 

 in addition to this I have received much help from Dr. Annandale, 

 both in material and in discussing some knotty points in con- 

 nexion with Indian species. My grateful thanks are due to him. 



I therefore hope and trust the detailed descriptions I have 

 drawn up, making use of several characters hitherto neglected, 

 will prove of lasting value for the better understanding of the 

 species, and of their inter-relationships. The description of Frogs 

 is much more difficult than that of Reptiles, the naked skin depriv- 

 ing us of the aid derived from the proportions and disposition of 

 the shields and scales and their numerical characters; measure- 

 ments of the different parts of the body are of first importance, 

 and I have therefore prepared tables of very numerous adult or 

 half-grown specimens, in order to convey exact information on this 

 point, and also to show the amount of individual variation, a 

 matter of great importance which is so often passed over. 



I At Dr. Boulenger's request I have added notes on the habits, geographical 

 range, etc., of species with which I am personally acquainted. These notes are 

 enclosed in square brackets and initialled. N. Aniiaiidale. 



^ Nearly twice the number given in my Catalogue of 1882, after elimination 

 of the Madagascar species which are now placed in the genera Mantidactylus, Blgr. 

 and Aglyptodactyhis, Blgr. 



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