22 



3. Fam. Hylidae. 



Upper jaw toothed, lower usually toothless. Diapophyses of 

 the sacral vertebra dilated. Terminal phalanges of fingers and 

 toes claw-shaped. 



Omosternum cartilaginous (rarely ossified); sternum cartila- 

 ginous. Vertebrae procoelous. No ribs. Os coccygis articulating 

 by two condyles. 



Distribution: cosmopolitan, except the Ethiopian and 

 greatest part of the Indian region. They are abundant in 

 Australia and tropical America, whereas but a few species 

 occur in the Palaearctic and Indian regions; in the western 

 part of the Indo-Australian Archipelago they are absent. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



A. Pupil vertical I. Nyctimantis p. 22. 



B. Pupil horizontal 2. Hyla p. 24. 



i. Nyctimantis Blgr. 



(Boule.nger, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., 1882, p. 421). 

 Nyctimystes^ Stejneger, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XXIX, 1916, p. 85. 



Pupil vertical. Tongue subcircular, entire, scarcely free 

 behind. Lower jaw toothless; vomerine teeth present. Tym- 

 panum distinct. Fingers free, toes webbed, the tips with large 

 disks. Outer metatarsals united. 



Omosternum and sternum cartilaginous. Diapophyses of sacral 

 vertebra moderately dilated. 



Distribution: S.- America; New Guinea. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



A. Tympanum distinct. Fingers webbed at the base . . . . \. N. papua p. 22. 



B. Tympanum indistinct. Outer fingers '/ 3 webbed 2. N. granti p. 23. 



i. Nyctimantis papua Blgr. 



Nyctimantis papua Boulenger, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (6) XIX, 1897, p. 12, 

 pi. I, fig. 5. 



Tongue circular, nicked and slightly free behind; vomerine 

 teeth in two short, transverse or slightly oblique series between 

 the large choanae. Head moderate; snout rounded, shorter 



