96 BARBOUR — SOLOMON ISLAND REPTILES [^V^l^Vlf 



very strongly suggests something more than a mere fortuitous 

 somatic variation, and forces still the inclination to conclude 

 that this modification, which quite surely must aid either in 

 burrowing in the ground or in pushing under logs and stones, is 

 very probably an adaptation acquired to this end. 



The stomach of our specimens contained only ants and a few 

 small chilopods. 



Platymantis solomonis (Boulenger) 

 Plates II, III, IV 



Comufer solomonis Boulenger, P. Z. S., 1884, p. 212; Trans. Zool. Soc, 



12, 1886, p. 54, pi. 11, fig. 2. 

 Cornufer corrugatus Boulenger, P. Z. S., 1888, p. 88. 

 Platymantis solomonis Boulenger, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (9), 1, 1918, 



p. 373. 



This species proves to be extremely variable, as an examina- 

 tion of the figures of selected individuals will show. In the de- 

 scription Boulenger pointed out that this species was near the 

 Papuan species, corrugatus, adding that it differed in having a 

 larger head, larger eyes, shorter hind limbs and stronger subar- 

 ticular tubercles. Again, however, as in the case of Cornufer 

 guppyi, Boulenger quite without comment recorded the Papuan 

 corrugatus from New Georgia and Guadalcanar. Until I had 

 handled our series for some time I was inclined to describe a 

 new species based on the smooth old adults; but variations are 

 very great, and the fact that Boulenger ignored these records 

 in his synopsis published in 1918, shows that he had beyond 

 doubt been misled by scanty material. 



Dr. Mann procured a splendid series: twenty-seven, of all 

 ages, from Ysabel; eighteen from Tulagi; four from Malaita; 

 four from Atta, high Malaita; one from Rubiana, New Georgia. 



Several of the specimens from Atta are tiny individuals, evi- 

 dently just emerged. 



