]\Ir. G. A. Boulcngcr on American Botrachians. 453 



LIII. — Notes on American IkUrachians. 

 By G. A. BOULKNGER. 



Itayia cantahrigensis^ Baud. 



I have no hesitation in pronouncing R. cantahrigensis lati- 

 remisj R. c. contuhn'gensis, and R. c. evittata of Cope (Batr. 

 N. Am. 1889, p. 435) to represent individual variations of 

 one species, whicli, as I liave stated before (Bull. Soc. Zool. 

 France, 1879, p. 162), is the North- American representative 

 of the European R. arvalis. The first " form " represents 

 the breeding male, the second the striped individuals, the 

 third the s])ecimens without stripes, females and males post 

 niq^tias. The establishment of " subspecies " or " varieties " 

 of this kind, and such innovations as the reference of R. aurora 

 to R. agilisy are not likely to advance our knowledge, and I 

 must frankly say it is a matter of regret that the extensive 

 material in the United-States Museum should not have 

 received more careful treatment at the hands of Prof. Cope, 

 who does not even take the trouble of ascertaining the sexes 

 of the specimens he describes. 



The whole question of the North-American Ranee tempo- 

 raricv is much in want of a thorough revision. h\ the mean- 

 while, after studying Cope's latest work, I adhere to my 

 former classification of the North-Anierican forms in four 

 species, viz.: — 1. R. Draytoni, B. & G.* [ = auroray B. & G., 

 nigricans, Hallow., Uoglii, Baird, longipes, Hallow., pachy- 

 derma, Cope) ; 2. R. pretiosa, B. & G. ; 3. R. cantahrigensis ^ 

 Baird j 4. R. silvaiica, Leconte. 



Rana jJalmipes, Spix. 



Rana clamata, var. guianensis, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 

 1803, p. 412, is another name to add to the synonymy of 

 this species. 



Evgystoma carolinensc, Holbr. 



I have examined the type specimen of Engysioma rugoaum, 

 D. & B., and refer it to E. caroUnense. 



Leptodactyhis prognailius, Blgr. 



Three specimens from Buenos Ayres are preserved in the 

 Copenhagen Museum. 



* 1852, uot 1862, as misprinted in my Catalogue and again in Cope's 

 work. 



