MISCELLANEA. 



BATRACHIA. 



The tadpoles of yyttihntrachns pi/f/maeus and Txalns 

 variabilis: a correction. 



In a recent number of the " Records of the Indian Museum " 

 (Vol. XV, p. 21, pi. i, figs. 5, 5a) I described and figured a tadpole 

 which I believed to be that of Nyctibatrachus pygmaetis. I was, 

 however, led astray by a break in my series of specimens, and while 

 the young frog to which I referred was undoubtedly a Nyctibat- 

 rachus, those tadpoles in which the characteristic structure of the 

 mouth remained were larvae of Ixalus variabilis. I have been able 

 to substantiate this fact by a recent examination of a large num- 

 ber of fresh specimens in the Nilgiri Hills. The posterior part of 

 the tail in this tadpole is often quite black, while the anterior part 

 is dull yellow more or less spotted with black. The colouration is, 

 however, variable. The larva of Ixalus variabilis is the commonest 

 Ranid tadpole in hill-streams round Coonoor and Kotagiri in April. 



The true tadpole of Nyctibatrachus, of which I have now ob- 

 tained specimens, is, curiously enough, very like that of Rana 

 semipalmata {op. cit., p. 20), which it resembles in having no horny 

 teeth on its mouth-disk. I am sending my specimens, with those 

 of a number of other species, to Dr. G. A. Boulenger for description, 

 having been forced by stress of other work to give up all herpeto- 

 logical studies for the present. 



N. Annand.\i,e. 



