166 DR MALCOLM SMITH ON 



The tadpole, which I have bred out in Siam, however, is so entirely 

 different from his, that 1 feel quite sure we cannot be referring to the 

 same creature. 



I have verified my own conclusions with specimens taken from 

 widely separated localities, and have kept the young frogs until th^ 

 were sufficiently big to avoid any mistake in their identification. Thev 

 result is, 1 can only conclude that some error has crept into Mr. Fergu- 

 son's article, and that he has inadvertently described another species. 



Descrh'TIon of the tadpole. 



Head and body ; lengtli one and a half, to one and three quarter 

 times its breadth, snout rounded. Nostrils nearer the tip of the 

 snout than tlie eye. Eyes towards the upper surface of the head, 

 looking outwards and upwards, about twice as far apart as the 

 nostrils * . Spiraculum sinistral, directed backwards and upwards, 

 nearer the ej-e than the vent. Anal tube straight, moderately long, 

 opening on the right hand side of the caudal membrane. Mouth, 

 subtemiinal, beak edged with black, lips with short papillae at the sides, 

 longer ones below, with a distinct gap in the mid-line. Two series 

 of teeth in the upper jaw, the first long and uninterrupted, the second 

 broadly interrupted ; below, three series of teeth, the lowest short, all 

 uninterrupted. Tail nearlj', or quite twice the length of the head and 

 body, four times as long as high, tip obtusely pointed ; crests moderate, 

 slightly convex, upper crest twice, or nearly twice, the depth of the 

 lower, not extending on to the back. Toes webbed as in the adult. 



Colour ( in life ). Above, olive, speckled with black ; posterior 

 half of the tail usually with dark bars, or almost entirely black, some- 

 times reddish ; below white. 



Dimensions: — Prae specimens ( May ). Total length, 33 mm., 

 head and body 12 ; depth of tail 5.5. 



Near Bangkok (July ). Total length, 42 mm. ; head and body, 

 14 ; depth of tail, 6. 



Rana limnor.harii in Siam, breeds throughout the rainy season, 

 and the tadpoles may be obtained in abundance f»om May to October. 

 They are to be found in small, swampy patches of ground, where the 

 water is quite shallow, and where usually there is plenty of grass and 



* More tlinn twice in one brood, less than (wice in anotlier. 



JOURN. NAT. HIST. SOC. SUM, 



