390 Mr. G. A. Boulenger on BatracMans. 



Except in the position of the anus they differ but little from 

 the ordinary Hyla-lavv^. I have observed three different 

 positions of the anal opening in the tadpoles of tailless Batra- 

 chians. The first, which may be called median, occurs in 



Psetidts, Pelobates, Alytes, Xenopus, &c. The anal tube is 

 median, and opens on tlie middle line of the lower edge of the 

 tail. The second, or suhlateral^ occurs in Rana ; the anal tube 

 is obliquely directed from left to right, and opens on the right 

 side of the lower edge of the caudal membrane. The third, 

 or lateral, I observe in the present species ; the anal tube is ex- 

 tremely reduced and opens high up on the right side of the tail, 

 just below the muscular portion of the latter. When the limbs 

 have reached their full development, and the alimentary canal 

 undergoes its transformation, and the definitive anal opening 

 makes its appearance, the caudal membrane becomes perfo- 

 rated behind the thighs ; then, in the forms with lateral anus 

 both tube and opening disappear, whilst in the others they 

 persist, functionless, till the absorption of the caudal mem- 

 brane. 



The mouth is that of a typical Hi/Ia. The lateral borders 

 of the lips are continuous at the point of union of the upper 

 with the lower, and bordered with papillfe except on the 

 middle of the upper lip, which is slightly incised ; numerous 

 papillas on each side of the mouth within the lips. Two 

 parallel rows of ciliate teeth on the upper lip, the marginal 

 uninterrupted, the inner as long but interrupted medially ; 

 three equally long rows of teeth on the lower lip, the inner 

 slightly interrupted in the middle, the two outer continuous. 



The body is short and globular ; its length '.s contained 

 twice and one third to twice and a half in cue length of the 

 tail. The latter is furnished with much-developed upper and 

 lower crest, which taper to a fine point ; the greatest height 

 of the tail nearly equals the length of the body ; the upper 

 membrane extends upon the body as far as the posterior margin 

 of the eye. 



The colour appears to have been silvery with small grey 

 spots ; the tail is veined or more or less marbled or spotted 

 with grey ; in one specimen, which belongs doubtless to the 

 same species, there is a large, round, deep-black spot on the 



