1918.] C. R, Narayan Rao: Indian Engystomatidae. 45 



Larva. 



Body oval, flat ; breadth about three-quarters of the length. Snout 

 acumiate, slightly truncated ; nostrils equidistant between the snout 

 and eyes. Interorbital space about one-sixth the distance between 

 eyes. Mouth small, without a horny rim or papillae. A naso-orbital 

 sensory groove present. 



Spiracle inconspicuous, the free hind edge not notched. Vent in- 

 conspicuous, median. 



Tail very delicate, tip pointed. The muscular part deeper than the 

 lobes. 



Larvae perfectly transparent, with the viscera showing through. 

 They become brown^ when the front limbs sprout. A dark oval or 

 horseshoe-shaped mark on the back which develops into a triangular 

 blackish spot, occupying nearly the whole length of the back as meta- 

 morphosis progresses. 



The following are the dimensions of a fully grown tadpole : — 



mm. 



Total length 32 



Length of body ......... 13 



Length of tail .......... 19 



Maximum breadth of body ....... 9J 



Maximum depth of body ........ 6 



Maximum depth of tail ........ 7 



The development is more rapid in this species than in K. variegata ; 

 it was completed in the aquarium within two weeks ; the larvae when 

 introduced measured about 22 mm. If it is assumed that the larvae 

 take about a week to attain this size, then the whole metamorphosis 

 occupies about three weeks. 



Cacopus systoma, Schneider. 

 The adults, which are very common during the monsoon, are great 

 burro wers. They emit a very characteristic sound by which their 

 presence is easily detected. The cry^ is not unlike the bleating of a 

 goat. 



Larva. 



Ferguson, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. XV, p. 507. 



Addendum. 



Dr. Malcolm A. Smith has just pubUshed an account of tadpoles 

 from Siam in which he describes the larva of Glyphoglossus molossus, 

 Giinther, and shows that Flower's " transparent tadpoles "' are those 

 of Microhyla butleri, Boulenger. See Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam II, 

 p. 261 ; 1917. 



Ed.— 21-2-1918. 



^ Butler makes a similar remark in connection with the larvae of K. jyidchra {.Journ. 

 Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. \V, p. 392). 



2 I am informed by Dr. .J. R. Henderson that in captivity, which they stand very 

 well, they feed on termites in large numbers. This habit, coupled with their burrowing 

 tendencies, must account for the small size of the mouth and the hind limbs armed with 

 powerful metatarsal tubercles, a character shared by species like Rana breviceps 

 belonging to a different family which have also similar habits. 



