BY MALCOLM A. SMITH. 18 



I have given in full what I believe to be the correct 

 synonymy of this most interesting little amphibian, originally 

 described from specimens obtained in the Larut hills by 

 Stanley Flower. I have for comparison U specimens from 

 Kuching, N. Borneo, 3 specimens from Mt. Murud, collected 

 at 6000 feet, 3 specimens from the Larut hills, Perak, Malay 

 Peninsula (one of them one of the types), 4 specimens 

 of Chaperina heyeri Taylor from Jolo, Philippine Islands, 

 sent me by the author. 



I have dissected the pectoral girdle of a Kuching specimen 

 and of one from the Larut hills; they have slender but well 

 defined clavicles and are therefore rightl} placed under 

 SpJicnopJiryne instead of Mierohyla. 



Taylor has separated his Cliaperina beycri from Chaperina 

 jusca on the presence of a soft dermal spine on the heel and on 

 the absence of tympanum. This latter is feebly distinct in 

 two of the Kuching examples but is absent in all the rest. 

 The spine is present in all 19 examples, both on the heels and 

 elbows, and M. Angel, who has kindly examined the type 

 specimen of Chaperina jusca for me, tells me that it is present 

 also on all four limbs. It varies in size from a mere pro- 

 jection, hardly visible imder the glass, to a fine spicule one 

 millimetre in length ; being semi-translucent it is not visible 

 in all lights and thus has escaped notice. 



As regards colouration, all the Kuching examples are 

 coloured like the Perak specimens, a very complete description 

 of which has been given by Flower. Those from Mt. Murud 

 are dark purplish-black above with the small white spots almost 

 absent on the dorsum but more numerous on the sides of the 

 head and body. Taylor also records variations in colour for 

 his Philippine specimens. 



The occurrence of this frog in New Guinea, if V. Mehely's 

 frog really is identical with it, is remarkable, for up till now 

 no amphibian inhabiting that island has been found also in 

 the Malay Peninsula. 



11. Nectophryne guentheri Bouleng. 



Van Kampen, Amphib. Indo-Austral. Archipel., 1923, p. 68. 



.4 specimens from between 5500 and 7000 feet altitude. 



