Bufonidse 



at this pitch for some minutes, when suddenly there would be a 

 distinct drop, followed almost immediately by a sudden rise again 

 to the original pitch. 



The life history and habits of Bufo compaciilts are not on 

 record. 



THE OAK TOAD 



Bufo quercicus Holbrook 



Identification Characteristics 

 Colour: Rich dark brown or grey-brown, with a distinct white 

 or yellow vertebral streak extending forward to the margin of the 

 upper jaw. The warts along this light line may be tipped with vivid 

 red and orange, as are also those on the posterior part of the eyelid 

 and on the sides of the body. Four pairs of black spots — 

 irregular, elongated, white-edged — lie along the vertebral line. 

 The first spots are on the top of the head. Underparts grayish 

 white, unspotted. Throat of male dusky. Light band from end 

 of parotoid gland backward. A broad black band on the side of 

 the body is made conspicuous by this white above and the white 

 of the underparts. Bright orange on palms of hands and soles of 

 feet; also some orange on under surface of femur. Sole tubercles 

 black. Legs irregularly spotted or banded with black. (Fig. loi.) 

 Measurements: Size small, i.e. length of adult ij inches. 

 Head short, its length contained in total length four times. Legs 

 extremely short; length to heel not equalling length of body for- 

 ward to the arm insertion. Femur almost concealed in the skin 

 of theibody, tibia not much longer. (Figs. loi and io6.) 



Structure: Exposed surface everywhere thickly set with warts 

 of varying degrees of minuteness. These warts cover the head 

 and eyelids, back, sides, legs, and arms. Those on the forearm 

 and tarsus are spinous. The palms of the hands and soles of the 

 feet are finely tubercular. Underparts everywhere granulated^ 

 even the throat. (Fig. io6.) The parotoid glands are oval and 

 long (three times length of eye), extending down on the sides. 

 (Fig. 103.) The bony crests of the head are parallel and widely 

 separated. They extend backward close to the inner edges of 

 the orbits; their ends bend abruptly inward, a little beyond 

 the anterior ends of the parotoid glands. The ridges back of the 



104 



