74 HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Lechriodus melanopyga, Boulenger, Brit. Mus, Cat. Batr. 

 Grad., 1882, p. 116 (footnote). Id., Fry, Mem, Q'land. 

 Mus., ii, 1913, p. 48. 



There are three specimens of this frog in the Museum 

 collection. Two were presented to the trustees by Mr. 

 Thos. Steel, F.L.S., and are those mentioned by Lucas 

 (see s3monymy), from Fife Bay, British New Guinea. The 

 third example was collected by the Royal Geographical 

 Societies' Expedition of 1885, in the St. Joseph's River 

 District, British Papua. Barbour's* tables of distribu- 

 tion published in 1912, record this frog from Dutch Papua 

 only. 



Lucas notes that the " tympanum is nearly as long 

 in vertical diameter as the eye is wide. There is no per- 

 ceptible dark stieak on the canthus rostralis." In my 

 third example these differences may also be noted. All 

 three specimens differ strikingly from Doria's figure and 

 Boulenger 's description by the broader head, the more 

 slender habit, and longer limbs. Shrinkage due to pre- 

 servation might account for the more slender habit, but 

 the broad head and longer limbs make it difficult to believe 

 that my specimens really belong to this species. The 

 figure of the St. Joseph's River example will ast^ist those 

 more fortunately situated to determine this point. 



The striking resemblance between certain Cystigna- 

 thids, notably Limnodynastes, Phanerotis, and Ranaster,-\ 

 and the Pelobatid genus Lechriodus, has previouslj-J been 

 referred to. So complete is the resemblance of Phanerotis 

 to Lechriodus that it is diff'cult to find even specific 

 characters with which to distinguish them. Limnodynastes, 

 however, is easily separated from Lechriodus by its hidden 

 tympanum, while Ranaster is at present only doubtfully 

 distinct from Phanerotis. A striking feature in common 

 is mentioned by Boulenger|| "in the female (of Lechriodus) 

 the two inner fingers are lobate, as in many Limnody- 



* Barbour — Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harv., xliv, No. 1, 1902, p. 177. 



I Van Kampen has shown (Nov. Guin., v, i, 1909, p. 136), that this 

 frog, which he mentions under the name of Phanerotis novce-guinece, belongs 

 to the Cystignathidae. 



% Fry— Mem. Q'land Mus., ii, 1913, p. 48. 



II Boulenger— Brit. Mus. Cat., 1882, p. 440. 



