164 OUR REPTILES. 



and distinctly pale and immediate. The female is 

 usually paler than the male; but the spots on the 

 tail are in general more numerous, smaller, and 

 disposed to become confluent." * Indeed, so distinct 

 and permanent are the characters which separate 

 the present species from its congeners, that it seems 

 surprising that it remained so long without recog- 

 nition. 



In a communication made by Dr. Gray to the 

 Zoological Society in 1863, he thus adverts to some 

 points of difference between this species and 

 others : — 



The T. cristatus has a circular ring-like iris, and the only 

 Batrachians which appear to have the spot on each side of the 

 iris, forming a band across the eyes, are the English LopMnus 

 punctatus and L. palmatus ; the band on the eyes looking in 

 these like a continuation of the dark streak on the side of the 

 head. I may add that the best character for the distinction of 

 these two species, which are often found in the same pond, is 

 that in L. punctatus the crest of the male is scalloped on the 

 edge, and high in front, while in L. palmatus it is low in front 

 and higher behind, and has a smooth straight upper edge. The 

 tail of the latter is also always truncated, and usually append- 

 aged at the tip.f 



M. Deby thus compares the two species : — 



L. pwmtatus L. palmatus. 



1. Tail generally tapering to 1. Tail suddenly truncate be- 

 a point. fore the apex, and terminating 



in a slender filament three 

 lines in lenth. 



* Bell's " Brit. Rept.," 2nd ed., p. 15i>. 



f Dr. Gray, in " Proc. Zool. Soc, 1863,'' p. 20o. 



