1920. J G. A. BouivENGER • Frogs of the Genus Rana. 183 



98. Rana luctuosa. 



Limnodytes luctiiosus, Peters, Mon. Bevl. Ac. iSyi, p. 579, and Ann. Mas. 



Genova, III, 1872, p. 43, pi. vi, fig. i. 

 Rana luctuosa, Bouleng. Cat. Batr. Ecaud. p. 68 (1882) and Ann. and 



Mag. N.H. (3) II, 1890, p. 34.1 ; S. Flower, Pfoc. Zool. Soc. 1896, p. 



904. pi. xlvi, and 1899, p. 896 ; A. L. Butler, Joiirn. N.H. Soc. Bomb. 



XV, 1903, p. 199; Bouleng. Faun. Mai. Pen., Rept. p. 238 (1912) 

 Rana decoraia, Mocquard, Le Natur. 1890, p. 155, and ;V. Arch. Mus. {:>,) 



II, 1890, p. 145. pl- X. fig- '• 



Vomerine teeth in small oblique groups or short series between 

 the choanse, equalh^ distant from each other and from the latter, 

 or nearer together. 



Head as long as broad, much depressed ; snout rounded, as 

 long as or a httle shorter than the eye, feebly projecting beyond 

 the mouth ; canthus rostralis indistinct ; loreal region scarcely 

 obhque, feebly concave , nostril equally distant from the eye and 

 from the tip of the snout ; distance between the nostrils equal 

 to or a little greater than the interorbital region, which is a little 

 broader than the upper eyelid ; tympanum very distinct,! to f the 

 diameter of the eye, 2 to 3 times as long as its distance from the 

 latter. 



Fingers moderately long, the tips dilated into very small 

 discs with a groove separating the upper from the lower surface ; 

 first finger longer than the second, third a little longer than the 

 snout ; subarticular tubercles moderate, prominent. 



Hind limb rather long, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching the 

 tip of the snout or between the eye and the tip of the snout, the 

 heels overlapping when the limbs are folded at right angles to the 

 body ; tibia 3 to 4 times as long as broad, twice or a little less 

 than twice in length from snout to vert, shorter than the fore limb, 

 as long as or slightly longer or shorter than the foot. Toes with 

 discs similar to but a little larger than those of the fingers, \ 

 webbed ; outer metatarsals bound together in the basal third ; sub- 

 articular tubercles moderate, prominent; no tarsal fold; inner 

 metatarsal tubercle elliptic, 2 to 2^ times in the length of the inner 

 toe ; a very small outer tubercle. 



Skin perfectly smooth. 



Top of head and back bright red or rich dark chocolate-brown, 

 bordered all round by a sharply defined white or yellow line ; sides 

 of head and body very dark brown or black ; tympanum dark 

 reddish brown ; along the lower part of the side of the body a few 

 white or yellow spots in an irregular line from the angle of the 

 mouth to the thigh ; limbs very dark brown or bluish black with 

 bluish white or very pale grey or orange marblings or transverse 

 lines. Throat brown or black, remainder of the lower parts dirty 

 buff, darker on the limbs, sometimes with small light spots. 



Males without secondary sexual characters. 



Nasal bones very narrow, widely separated from each other by 

 the ethmoid, which is broadly truncate in front and nearly reaches 

 the premaxillaries. 



