334 Zoological Society : — 



fin is reduced ; this filament is more than half as high as the head, 

 and dilated into a small lamella at its extremity. The second dorsal 

 fin occupies the back of the tail, and is composed of fourteen simple 

 rays, none of which are as high as the fin is long. The caudal fin 

 is quite free from the dorsal and anal, and composed of eight very 

 soft rays, which are bifid at the end, and form a convex posterior 

 margin. Anal fin very short, composed of four rays only, which are 

 opposed to the posterior dorsal rays. The base of the pectoral fin 

 is fleshy and enveloped in skin, as in other Pedicidati. It is com- 

 posed of eighteen simple and feeble rays. Ventral fins none. Vent 

 situated immediately behind the abdominal sac. The whole fish, 

 even the inside of the mouth, of the abdominal sac, and of the sto- 

 mach, is of a uniform deep black. 



Total length (mouth closed) 3^y inches ; length of intermaxillary 

 and of mandible l^j inch. 



Nov. 8, 1864.— Prof. Huxley, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Note on the Clawed Toads (Dactylethra) of Africa. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., etc. 



There has long been known a Toad that has long slender fingers 

 to its fore feet, like the Pipes, and very large webbed hinder feet, 

 some of the toes of which are armed with very distinct horny black 

 claws — a peculiarity of structure that is quite an exception amongst 

 the Batrachian animals. 



The specimen first observed was brought from South Africa : it 

 was described and figured by Cuvier, in the second edition of the 

 'Regne Animal' (vol. ii. p. 107, t. 7. f. 3), under the name of Dacty- 

 lethra. This author states that the animal had been before partially 

 known ; for it is figured, but without its claws, in the ' Planches 

 Enluminees ' as the male Pipa, I suppose on account of the form of 

 the feet. Daudin described it under the name of the Crapaud lisse 

 (t. 30. f. 1); and Merrem, in his Compilations, calls it Pipa bu- 

 fonia. It is now generally known as the Dactylethra capensis of 

 Cuvier. 



Dr. Peters, when examining a specimen of this animal which he 

 obtained from Mozambique, discovered a very small cylindrical ap- 

 pendage, or beard, situated on the front part of the underside of the 

 orbit ; and described it as a new species, under the name of Dactyle- 

 thra Mulleri, in the 'Monatsber. der Berlin. Acad.' (1844, p. 37). 



Dr. Hallowell, having observed the same beard under the eyes of 

 a young specimen which he had obtained from the Gaboon through 

 Dr. H. A. Ford, gives a long description of it, under the name of Dac- 

 tylethra Mulleri, in the ' Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences' for 1857, p. 65. 



Dr. Giinther, in his excellent • Catalogue of Batrachia Salientia 

 in the British Museum,' published in 1858, admits the two species, 

 and appears not to have observed the minute beard under the 

 eyes in the specimens from South and West Africa, then in the 

 Museum collection; but when we received, in 1862, the specimen 



