of the Hand in Pipa and Xenopus, 203 



doigt est Ic plus long des quatre, apics lui c'est Ic troisicmc, 

 cnsuite Ic premier, puis le dernier, qui est par consequent le 

 plus court." Thus here also we meet with the common 

 mistake. 



Of the old authors Bonnet * perhaps observed tlie correct 

 numbering of the fingers ; he says ^' . . . leur longueur etoit 

 inegale. Le troisieme qui etoit le plus long ....;" but 

 whether he really had a clear idea of the hand cannot be 

 decided either from his text or figures. 



If we now make an examination of the exterior of the 

 hand we shall observe the following facts : the back of the 

 hand is concave, the palm convex, and the outer fingers can 

 be turned inwards over tlie middle ones, so that the hand 

 acquires the peculiar narrow form which is often seen in 

 specimens ])reserved in spirit and which certainly will be 

 found in the living animal. The distribution of colour that 

 in Anurans usually very distinctly characterizes the lower and 

 upper sides is here but feebly marked ; yet I have found 

 among the specimens which I had theopportunity of examining 

 a fe\s^ in which the colour was paler and spotted, like the belly, 

 on the inner side of the arm as well as on the upper side of 

 the wrist and the three inner metacarpals ; besides, the skin 

 on the back of the hand is often somewhat smoother and finer 

 than on the palm. That a hand like this is used very little 

 for walking seems evident ; the absence of tubercles from the 

 palm points in the same direction. Unfortunately we know 

 nothing as to the mode of locomotion in the genus Pipa, our 

 information concerning the habits of this animal being very 

 scanty ; the old and hitherto (as far as I knov.') the only 

 observers of the animal in the living state (Miss Merian and 

 Dr. Ferrain) merely noticed its singular mode of breeding. 

 Probably Pipa will be found essentially aquatic in its habits. 

 Miss Merian f only says that it dwells on a plant growing in 

 the water. Fermin % states that it lives in the swamps of 

 the thick forests, and that the specimens he kept were 

 almost constantly swimming about, and scarcely ever sat 

 quietly at the bottom. 



* " Observations sur le Pipa ou Crapaud de Suriuam," Journal de 

 Physique, t. xiv. 1779, p. 427. 



t ' I)e geiieratiouo et metamorphosibus iusectorum Suriuameusium,' 

 Auistelod., 1710, p. 70, 



\ ' Abliandluugen vou dor SuriuamischenKrote &c.,' iibersctzt v. Goeze. 

 Brauuscliwei;:', 177lj. 



