THE NARROW-MOUTHED FROGS 



2637 



found among fallen leaves on the ground in forests. Like its kindred, it displays 

 remarkable care and attention to its young. The secretion from its skin is employed 

 by the Indians as an arrow poison. 



THE NARROW-MOUTHED FROGS 

 Family ENGTSTOMATID^E 



An important family of the suborder is that of the narrow-mouthed frogs, rep- 

 resented by more than a score of genera, distributed over Africa, Madagascar, India 

 and the adjacent countries, Southern China, Papua, and America. While agreeing 

 with the members of the preceding family in the absence of teeth in the upper jaw, 



EAST-AFRICAN SHORT-HEADED FROGS. 



(Natural size.) 



these frogs are distinguished by the broad expansion of the extremities of the trans- 

 verse processes of the sacral vertebra. The vertebrae are similar in conformation to 

 those pf the typical frogs, and there is the same absence of ribs. There is, however, 

 considerable variation in regard to the bones of the chest, several of the genera 

 lacking the transverse bars commonly known as precoracoids; and the terminal 

 joints of the toes may be either simple or T-shaped. Although there are no arbo- 



