432 _PELOBATIDE. A: 
) 4 
9. PELOBATIDE. 
Discoglosside, part., Asterophrydide, Alytide, part., Bombinatoride, 
part., Giinth. Cat. Batr. Sal. 
Asterophrydide and Scaphiopodide, part., Cope, Nat. Hist. Rev. 
1865. 
Asterophrydidz, Pelodytidee, Scaphiopodidee, Cope, Journ. Ac. Philad. 
2) vi. 1866. Ss PT, 
Barbone. part., Alytidee, part., Discoglosside, part., Mivart, 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869. 
Pelobatidee and Asterophrydide, Lataste, Actes Soc. Linn, Bord. 
Xxx, p. 399, 
Upper jaw toothed; diapophyses of sacral vertebra strongly 
dilated ; no ribs; terminal phalanges simple. 
The coracoids and precoracoids are more or less strongly curved. 
The omosternum is constantly present, but small and cartilaginous. 
The sternum is a cartilaginous plate, or a bony style with cartilagi- 
nous disk. 
The vertebree are proccelian in most of the genera; in Megalo- 
phrys, and perhaps also in Asterophrys, they are opisthoccelian, as 
in the Discoglosside and Aglossa. But, in this case, this character 
does not seem to be of such importance as was believed by some 
authors. It has been noticed that, in some individuals of various 
species, the intervertebral spheres do not become firmly attached to 
either centrum at maturity *; and one adult specimen of Xenophrys 
monticola in the British Museum exhibits a very anomalous mode 
of articulation, the fourth vertebra being biconcave, the fifth bi- 
convex, the others proccelian. 
A fronto-parietal fontanelle is present in Pelodytes, absent in the 
other genera. 
The pupil is vertically elliptic. 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
I. Coccyx and sacrum confluent ; toes extensively webbed. 
Sternum a cartilaginous plate ; tympanum present. 
1. Scaphiopus, p. 433. 
Sternum with a bony style; tympanum absent. 
2. Pelobates, p. 457. 
II. Sacral vertebra with two condyles for articulation with 
coccyx ; toes nearly free or very shortly webbed. 
Sternum with a bony style; vomerine teeth on a level with the front 
edge of the choanee ; diapophyses of sacral vertebra extremely 
dalated: G25 05-.15 se. Ta er 3. Pelodytes, p. 438. 
Sternum without bony style; vomerine teeth in a long transverse 
series behind the choane ........ 4. Batrachopsis, p. 439. 
—_ 
* Cf. Dugés, ‘Recherches sur l’Ostéologie et la Myologie des Batraciens,’ and 
Cope, Journ. Ac. Philad. (2) vi. 1866, p. 67. 
