310 CLASS AMPHIBIA. 



Hymenochirus, trop. Afr. Pipa Laur., the Surinam toad, tropical Amer.,. 

 without teeth, fingers free, end in 4 appendages, skin papillated, the 

 eggs which are laid after the rains appear to be fertilised internally and 

 placed by the protruded cloaca upon the back of the female where they 

 sink into the skin (Bartlett, P.Z.S. 1896, p. 595), each egg- containing 

 pouch in the skin so formed is covered by a lid the origin of which is un- 

 known ; the young leave these skin cells in a condition closely resembling 

 the adult, the tail formed in the embryo being absorbed before hatching. 



Sub-order 2. PHANEROGLOSSA. A tongue is present and 

 the eustachian tubes are separate. The tadpoles have one spira- 

 culum only, on the left side except in the Discoglossidae in which 

 it is median. 



Series A. ARCIFERA. The epicoracoids of the two sides overlap. 



Fam. 2. Discoglossidae. Upper jaw toothed, transverse processes 

 of sacral vertebra dilated, short ribs to anterior transverse processes, 

 vertebrae opisthocoelous, tongue a round non-protrusible disc, males 

 without vocal sacs, tadpoles with median spiracle. Discoglossus Otth, 

 S. Eur., N.W. Afr., tympanum indistinct. Bombinator Merr.,Eur., Asia, 

 no tympanum ; B. igneus Giinth, unke, fire-bellied toad. Alytes Wagl., 

 tympanum distinct, the male attaches the eggs to its hind limbs, where 

 they remain until hatching, Eur. ; A. obstetricans Laur. Liopelma Stein- 

 dachn., New Zealand, no tympanum or eustachian tubes, the only New 

 Zealand Amphibian. 



Fam. 2. Pelobatidae. Upper jaw toothed, transverse processes of 

 sacral vertebra dilated, no ribs ; tongue protrusible, vertebrae procoelous 

 except in Asterophrys and Megalophrys where they are opisthocoelous ; 

 tympanum hidden or indistinct, absent in Pelobates. Scaphiopus, spade- 

 foot, N. Amer., Mexico. Pelobates Wagl. spade-footed toad, Eur., inner 

 tarsal tubercle shovel-shaped ; P. ftiscus Laur., Central Eur., 3 inches, 

 tadpole larger than adult. Pelodyles Fitz., S.W. Eur., Batrachopsis 

 Blgr., New Guinea; Leptobrachium Tschudi, E. Ind. ; Xenophrys Giinth, 

 mountains of India ; Megalophrys Kuhl, E. Ind. ; Asterophrys Tschudi, 

 New Guinea ; Ranaster Mackay, N. Guinea. 



Fam. 3. Bufonidae. Toads. Teeth absent, except in Notaden which 

 has them on the vomers ; transverse processes of sacral vertebra 

 dilated ; tympanum usually distinct, but variable ; vertebrae procoe- 

 lous, without ribs ; includes terrestrial, burrowing, aquatic (Nectes) and 

 probably arboreal (Nectophryne) forms ; nearly cosmopolitan, absent from 

 Madagascar, Papuasia and Pacific Islands, and New Zealand. Engystomops 

 Espada, trop. Amer. ; Pseudophryne Fitz, Australia ; Nectophryne Buchh. 

 and Peters, W. Afr., E. Ind. ; Bufo Laur., pupil horizontal, metastermun 

 cartilaginous, sometimes ossified along the middle ; fingers free ; toes 

 more or less webbed, tips simple or dilated into small discs, more 

 than 100 species, cosmopolitan except Australian region and Mada- 

 gascar ; B. vulgaris Laur., common toad of the palaearctic region, is 

 absent from Ireland, male without vocal sacs, in S. Eur. may attain to 

 6 inches, devour insects, worms, snails, and have been known to eat mice ; 

 skin is dry but can exude a white poison, harmless and useful creatures ; 

 B. calamita Laur., the natterjack, W. Eur., England, Wales and S.W. 

 Ireland. Nectes Cope, Java ; Notaden Giinth., Australia ; Myobatrachus 



