1912.J N. ANNANDAI.E : Batrachia. 23 



Glands. — A large and prominent oval parotoid gland ' present 

 on each side and a small and less conspicuous single gland (in 

 large tadpoles) on the dorsum at the base of the tail. 



r^// bluntly pointed, about i| times as long as head and bod}^, 

 ver}^ shallow at its base owing to poor development of both fin- 

 membranes ; these become deep shortly afterwards and then 

 diminish again somewhat abruptly, so that the outline of the tail 

 is strongly sinuous. 



Colouration. — In the young tadpole the head and bod}^ are 

 boldly diversified with dark and pale markings not of a sym- 

 metrical nature, while the muscular part of the tail bears 

 numerous large and sm.all ocelli, which are replaced on the fin- 

 membranes by small black spots. As the tadpole grows and the 

 limbs begin to develop the colours darken and the caudal ocelli 

 become indistinct or disappear, with the exception, as a rule, of 

 one large ocellus on each side at the base of the tail. Sometimes 

 a second smaller and more distal ocellus also persists and occasion- 

 ally there is a row of ocelli all along the tail of even full-grown 

 larvae, gradually diminishing in size from in front backwards. 

 The central spot of each ocellus is black, the outer ring yellow. 

 The number of ocelli is not always the same on both sides of the 

 body. 



Dimensions. — The tadpole reaches a length of at least 57 mm. 

 The following are the measurements of two specimens in one of 

 which (A) the hind limbs appear as minute buds, while in the other 

 (B) the toes can just be detected : — 



I was at first inclined to adopt the opinion that the large 

 series of ocellate Ranid larvae in our collection represented two 

 distinct species, one with a distinct supra-caudal gland, prominent 

 parotoids and not more than two ocelli on each side of the tail, 

 the other with no supra-caudal gland, much less prominent 

 parotoids, the head and body spotted and mottled, and numerous 

 caudal ocelli. Specimens, however, recentlj^ obtained by Mr. 

 F. H. Gravely and Capt. R. B. Se^^mour Sewell, I. M.S.. in Lower 

 Burma, show that there is a complete gradation between the two 

 forms, the latter being merely a younger stage of the former. 

 Mr. Gravely' s specimens, in none of which were the hind limbs 

 developed, were taken in a small pond near Kawkareik in 



1 This gland is not nearly so conspicuous in fresh specimens as it is in old 

 and faded ones. 



