1914-] Miscellanea. 265 



with beautiful deep black tegmina and very rich red 

 front to head, mesonotum, and abdomen. 



Gen. Scieroptera^ Stal. 



12. S. splendidula, Fabr. 



Four specimens from Singla. Tiiey are of the variet}^ 

 named as cuprea, with very distinct yellow costal 

 membranes to the tegmina. 



Howard Ashton. 



BATRACHIA. 



Larva of Rana curtipes, Boul. ("Fauna," p. 458). — Ac- 

 cording to Dr. Boulenger, R. curtipes is reported to occur in the 

 West Coast of India ^ and all the specimens in my collection were 

 taken in Coorg. It is not essentially aquatic, but is found con- 

 cealed under stones and dry vegetation, coming out in the 

 night for food. The species is often mistaken by natives for 

 Rhacophorus maculatus (the chunam or tree frog) and, because of 

 the superficial resemblance, is often called " kal therai." The frog 

 enters the water during the breeding-season, which begins with the 

 appearance of the S. W. monsoon. The males which are smaller 

 are very lively and their call notes may be denoted b}^ the short 

 syllables " Thrub, Thrub," quite characteristic of the species. 

 Last May, specimens of larvae were secured illustrating practically 

 the different stages in the metamorphosis. 



Larva. — The tadpoles are plentiful in small jungle streams 

 and occur in April, May and June. They may be described as 

 follows : — 



Head and Body. — The body is oval ; the dorsal and ventral 

 surfaces are flat. It is much longer than broad. Snout broadly 

 rounded, Mouth ventral. Tip of tail moderately rounded. Skin 

 quite smooth. 



Nostril and Eye. — Interorbital space slightly more than twice 

 the distance between the eye and nostril. Byes moderate, dorso- 

 lateral. Pupil round, becoming horizontal as the forelegs develop. 

 Nostril dorsal, nearer the eye than to snout. (In the adult, the 

 nostril is nearer the snout, and the interorbital space less than ij 

 times the distance between the eye and nostril). 



Mouth. — Ventral, fairly large, with the lower lip better deve- 

 loped. It is directed slightly backward. The upper margin of the 

 upper lip devoid of papillae ; but the sides of the upper lip and 

 corners of the mouth fringed with two or three rows of big tuber- 

 cles. Smaller ones fringe the lower lip. The dental formula may 

 be expressed thus ; 3 : 3—5 + 3— -5 j i -|- 5 : 5—7, meaning that in 

 the upper lip there are from three to five inner broken and three 

 outer complete rows of short horny teeth, and in the lower lip 

 there is one inner interrupted and from five to seven complete 

 series. The beak consists of an upper and a lower horny provi- 



