130 Mr. W. Ferguson on a iietr Genus of Batrach'ans. 



(rough head) are in [many respects so simihir tliat it is not 

 unlikely the Ibnuer may be so amended as to include the 

 Ceylon frog ; but the very distinct aspects of the two, and 

 some remarkable differences more fully given in the specific 

 description, have induced me to include our Ceylon frog in a 

 new genus with a name indicating its singular roxajh liead. 



In page 80 of the ' Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal ' for ^larch 1870, the late Dr. Jcrdon,in the following 

 extract from his " Notes on Indian Ilcrpetology," has shown 

 that vomerine teeth are present in the genus Xenoj)hn/.<t : — " I 

 obtained numerous specimens o^ Xenoji/in/s rnont icola ^( jimtheTf 

 both at Darjeellng and the Khasi hills ; it has distinct vomerine 

 teeth, which Giinthcr Avas unable to detect in the specimens of 

 the 13ritish Museum. I also obtained five specimens of a 

 larger species of Xenophrys both in Sikim and the Khasi hills, 

 which 1 propose describing as Xenophrys gigas.'''' 



It is very likely that, if these specimens of the undescribed 

 species referred to exist, it may be found tliat they have pecu- 

 liarities of structure connecting them with Xenophrys monticolay 

 Giinther, and our Ceylon frog. 



I regret to say that I have only one specimen of this 

 su})posed new frog, and that I am not certain as to where it 

 was found, though I believe I caught it on the sides of a stream 

 near Hewisse, in the southern portion of the Western Province, 

 and famous as one of i^Ir. Tliwaites's best botanical districts. 

 I regret also to state that, like many of the earlier frogs caught 

 by me, this one was put into strong spirits, wliich have shrivelled 

 it up to a certain extent. It is very thin and flat in proportion 

 to its size ; and I doubt not that, like species oi Hyhrana, it is 

 a powerful leaper. In the specific description given I have 

 tried not to omit a single character which might assist in the 

 identification of this frog. 



The interdigital membrane connecting the first, second, 

 third, and fourth toes is just perceptible ; but I have no doubt 

 that in newly caught specimens it will be found quite distinct. 



I have marked the presence of paro^o/t/.* witli a query, 

 thus (?), because I am not certain whether the slight enlarge- 

 ments iDchind the orbits are parotoids or not. 



Writing about Rana Kuhlii, Schl., of Ceylon, W. Theobald, 

 junr., Esq., in his Catalogue of Reptiles in the Museum of tlie 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, makes the following very appro- 

 priate remarks, which are equally applicable to all the Indian 

 and Ceylon Batrachians and tlic Cieckotid;e : — " There are no 

 reptiles in India in such a confused state as the Ranidae ; and 

 I can add but little towards disentangling the shadowy species, 

 real enough perhaps, but not as yet characterized. The series 



