SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 101 
tion of a lateral series of enlarged warts; first fingers slightly shorter than second; 
toes less than half webbed; subarticular tubercles single; two very well-devel- 
oped metatarsal tubercles; a tarsal fold; back and sides covered with numerous 
warts, varying greatly in size, some of the lateral warts slightly spinose, others 
smooth; lower surface with smaller warts; upper surface of hands and feet 
almost smooth. 
Colour (in life): — Variegated brown with dark, almost black streaks and 
spots; a dirty yellow streak on the parotoid and along the lateral series of 
enlarged warts; elsewhere on the sides scattered spots of dull yellow; lower 
surfaces paler yellowish. 
Dimensions: — Tip of snout to vent 69 mm. 
Tip of snout to posterior edge of tympanum 20 mm. 
Greatest width of head 24.5 mm. 
Fore leg from axilla 33 mm. 
Hind leg from vent 64 mm. 
Bufo empusus belongs to a small and very peculiar group of toads. It is 
most closely related to Bufo gutturosus Latreille from Haiti, less closely to Bufo 
lemur Cope from Porto Rico and Bufo turpis Barbour of Virgin Gorda. The 
species from Haiti and Porto Rico were long confounded with each other but are 
really very distinct. Bufo lemur reaches a much greater size than the Haitian 
Sapo de concha, which in turn is larger than B. empusus. This species has not 
been observed in Oriente and it is apparently entirely confined to western Cuba 
where terrain suitable to its peculiar habits may be found. The related toads 
of Haiti and Porto Rico have apparently more or less the habits usual to species 
of Bufo. The following account records the discovery of a colony of the toads 
near Herradura in the flat plains region of eastern Pinar del Rio Province. The 
great number of adults found in the colony were remarkably uniform in size, 
the measurements given being typical. 
“Gundlach found this species, so rare in collections, rather common locally in the 
Cienaga de Zapata, in the jurisdiction of Colon, in the savannas near Los Ciegos, and Los 
Palacios in the Vuelto Abajo region of the Province of Pinar del Rio. I was able to obtain 
a splendid series in some plains about five miles northeast of Herradura, also in the Province 
of Pinar del Rio. I should never have learned of their existence had it not been for the aid 
given me by an intelligent young Cuban, Sr. Lucio Alfonso. In response to my inquiry 
regarding the occurrence of the “Sapo de Concha,” he took me to an upland clayey pasture 
’ near by, which had recently been burned over. Scattered thickly over this whole area were 
the mouths of a great number of small burrows. These were evidently of two sorts, for the 
openings of some were carefully rimmed with smoothly patted clay, while the others were 
