164 



ANURA 



CHAP 



and closes the orbit behind. Boulenger has discovered the rare, 

 individual occurrence of minute teeth on the parasphenoid and 

 on the pterygoids of this species. These teeth are unquestion- 

 ably the last reminiscences of a condition almost entirely super- 

 seded in the recent Anura. 



P. syriacus from Asia Minor and Syria agrees with P. cultripes 

 in the cranial configuration, but has the yellow or brown spur 

 of P. fuscus. 



FIG. 33. Pelobates cultripes, Spade-foot Toad, x 1, and under surface of left foot. 



Scaphiopus. The Spade-foot of North America and Mexico 

 differs slightly from those of Europe, chiefly by the presence of a 

 more or less hidden tympanum and of a subgular vocal sac, and by 

 the sternum, which forms an entirely cartilaginous plate without 

 a special style. The close relationship of these two genera is 

 further indicated by the occurrence of peculiar large glandular 

 complexes in some of the species, pectoral in S. solitarius, tibial 

 in S. multiplicatus of Mexico. At the same time this genus 

 approaches Pelodytes. About eight species are known, two of 

 which inhabit the United States, the others Mexico. 



