248 Mr. G. A, Boulenger on Rana temporaria. 



as 5| inclies without the pencil. The ears, again, are smaller 

 (0-43 X 0-25 against 0-45x 0-3). The fore foot tools much 

 smaller, while the hind foot measures 1'12 inch against 0"9. 



P.S. — The following are the dimensions of the skull of 

 no. 2 :— 



inch. 



Length from occiput to end of nasal bones 1-12 



Length from lower margin of foramen magnum to 



alveolar border of premaxillaries 0*90 



Breadth across zygomatic arches 0"o8 



The nearest described form appears to be G. hirtipes, La- 

 taste, from Algeria, which, to judge by the description, 

 differs in havino: the tail throughout tawny above and white 

 below.— W. T.^'B. 



XXIII. — A Bejyly to M. de Betta's Remarks on '' Eana 

 temporaria." By G. A. Boulenger. 



Through the kindness of M. de Betta, I have recently 

 received a pamphlet entitled " SuUe diverse forme della Rana 

 temporaria in Europa e piu particolarmente nell' Italia " 

 (Veuezia, 1885), in which lie expresses it as his opinion that 

 the various forms of European land-frogs hitherto distin- 

 guished arc specifically identical. After all that has been 

 published to demonstrate that the term " Rana temporaria^^ 

 in its old sense, is merely collective and embraces a number 

 of species characterized not only by form and coloration, but 

 by important anatomical and physiological peculiarities, M. 

 de Betta's views do not seem to me to be in accordance Avith 

 the progress of science ; and as the above-cited paper, from the 

 pen of the veteran Italian herpetologist, is likely to influence 

 many who have as yet failed to form an opinion on the subject, 

 or to encourage superficial treatment of the question of species 

 and their geographical distribution, I cannot allow it to pass 

 without a reply. 



Kx the present day, to mention from any given locality in 

 the Pala^arctic Region " Rana temporaria^^^ in its widest 

 sense, is worth as much as to record "the Lizard" or "the 

 Xewt." I am not afraid of going too far in stating that the 

 differences between the forms of ''^ Rana temporaria'''' are as 

 great as those between Lacerta ocellata, L. viridis^ and L. 



