.'(8C) Miss Joan W. ProcliM- on a nerc Toad. 



sc;\rei'l\' visible; no tynipanuin. Fiii<;ers free ; toes IVcc <>r 

 webbed, the tips not diluted ; outer nietatarsiils united. 



No niiixillary teeth. Oinosteinuin caitila<;inous ; steiiunn 

 witli slemler bony style ; pnecoraeoids strongly curved. 

 Sacral diapopliyses immensely dilated ; urostyle nion >- 

 coiidylous. 



All tliree species possess a pair of mamma3-like pectoral 

 glands, in wliicli, together with the vertical pupil, absence of 

 teeth, jiectoral and pelvic characters, the genus resembles 

 Ophryophrijne. Tiie lattei genus may, however, be readily 

 distinguished by its well-developed tympanum and pug-likc 

 physiognomy. 



Key to Species. 



I. Choante very small ; toes free siAkiniensis. 



II. Choauto moderate. 



a. Abdomeu smooth ; toes free or nearly free mammnta, 



b. Abdomen gi-anular ; toes * webbed altico/a. 



At the present time there are, therefore, two allied genera 

 connecting Biifonidaj and Pelobatida?, but regarded until 

 recently as belonging to the former family on account of the 

 aljsenceof teeth. These are Gophophryne^ Blgr., and OjJiryo- 

 pliryiie, BIgr. In 1919 Mr. 13oulenger (in describing 

 Aelarophryne) remarks : — " As I am more and more losing 

 faith in the importance of the })resence or absence of teeth as 

 a family character, I would suggest an alteratioii of the 

 definition of Pelobatidre so as to include these toothless 

 forms. Although the definition will then be very vague 

 indeed, the group will at least be expressive of the natural 

 affinities of its constituents, which may be described as lowly 

 forms approaching the Discoglossida% and leading, on the 

 one hand, to the Cystignathidai (through Batrachopsis) and, 

 on the other, to the Bufonidaj.^' 



As long as Pelobatidse is maintained as distinct from 

 Bufonidse, this must certainly be the case, for the strongly 

 curved prtecoracoids, mo)iocondylous urostyle, and enormously 

 dilated sacral diapo])hyses place these genera much nearer to 

 Ptlobates^ and Megalophrys than to Bufo, e.s])ecially so 

 since the presence or absence of teeth can no longer be relied 

 upon as a family character. 



This being accepted, however, there is no longer a cha- 

 racter, or combination of character.-*, by which one may 

 separate these hitherto distinct faniilic.-;. For instance, as 



* The larval 8ta<re also beans lliis out, fur the tadpole of ('. sikkmictisis 

 resembk'S that of I'ehOutvs in a very niarlicd degree. 



