300 AMPHIBIA. [RANA. 



ORDER I. CADUCIBRANCHIA. 



GEN. 1. RANA, Laurent. 



1. R. temporaria, Linn. (Common Frog.) Reddish 

 or yellowish brown, spotted with black ; an elongated 

 black patch behind the eyes. 



R. temporaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 357. Turt. Brit. Faun. 

 p. 80. Flem. Brit. An. p. 158. R. aquatica, Ray, Syn. Quad. 

 p. 247. R. fusca, Rces. Ran. tabb. 1-3. Common Frog, Penn. 

 Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 9. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. m. p. 97. pi. 29. 

 Id. Nat. Misc. vol. xx. pi. 864. (Variety.) Grenouille rousse, 

 Cuv. Reg. An. torn. 11. p. 105. 



DIMENS. (.Average.) Length (from the end of the snout to the anus) 

 two inches seven lines ; hind leg (from its union with the body to the 

 extremity of the longest toe) four inches ; fore leg (measured in the same 

 way) one inch five lines and a half. Obs. Often attains a larger size. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Body slender, compared with that of the Toad: 

 head approaching triangular, the snout a little pointed : gape wide, 

 extending to a vertical line from the posterior part of the orbit : teeth 

 minute, forming a single row in the upper jaw; none in the lower; also 

 an interrupted row across the front of the palate: tongue soft, fleshy, 

 spatula-shaped, emarginated at the tip, folded back upon itself when not 

 in use : eyes somewhat elevated above the forehead : back generally flat ; 

 sometimes a little gibbous behind : fore feet moderate, with four divided 

 toes ; third toe longest ; second shortest ; first and fourth nearly equal : 

 hind feet more than half as long again as the body ; the thighs strong 

 and muscular ; toes on these feet palmated, five in number, with scarcely 

 the rudiment of a sixth ; fourth toe considerably longer than any of the 

 others ; third and fifth equal : skin naked, every-where smooth, excepting 

 between the thighs, where it is a little rugose. (Colours.) Variable: 

 above brown, yellowish brown, or reddish brown, more or less spotted 

 with black ; the spots forming transverse fasciae on the legs : beneath 

 whitish, or yellowish white ; generally plain, but sometimes spotted like 

 the back. The most constant mark is an elongated patch of brown or 

 brownish black behind the eyes, on each side of the occiput : there is also 

 generally more or less indication of a whitish line running longitudinally 

 down each side of the back, and enclosing a space paler than the adjoin- 

 ing regions. 



Common and generally distributed in England and Scotland : said, 

 however, to have been unknown in Ireland previously to 1696, in which 



