! i 



i 



2;'.s iin.i.r.riN :;i. imikk siaiks nai'ionai, muskim. 



lan'KoiuM "HON. 



Till' Siilii'utiiiliiive', ill tomiKTiiti' rliiiialos at k'a.st,iiii animal pcruxl of 

 ropiddiu'liitii, wliifli occurs ill (lie spiiiij;'. Tlic iiialo is without iiitro- 

 mitti'iit or^faii, and rcrtili/ifioii is accoiiiplisJH'd I»y the discliarj,'!^ ol'tlu' 

 sponiiii.ic lliiiil of tilt' male on liic c^'^'s as tlicy ioavc the hod.v of tlic 

 foinalo. Ill oi'dor to accoiiiplisli lliis I'llccliially tlic iiialo attaclit's Iiiiii- 

 self to tilt' fi'iiialc by sci/iii;; Iicr with his aiitiM'ior limbs. In (li(> 

 •iiralcriiuiiibcr of the .Salicntia llio ciiibracc is round the axilla', but in 

 tlu' J)is('o;ilossi(lii', whifli ai)pi'oac'h nearest the salamanders in their 

 anatomy, the embrace is, as in those animals, round the loins. In the 

 salaiiianders it is, however, the hinder feet that sei/t* the female, and 

 not the arms. Amoiiu' other families the {,'enera Ciiltripes, I'eloliates, 

 and Pelodytes also sei/.e the female around the waist. It is jirobable 

 that this will be found to be the ease in some other jjencra not yet 

 observed.* 



The sjxM'ies of Arcifera exhibit i>eeuliar structures durin.^' the breed- 

 ing- season; either an exiension of the natatory membrane, or tiie 

 developnii'iit of cornioiis plates or spujs, as aids 1(» prehension. Tlu'ie 

 is much variety and ellieiency displayed in this jjoiiit (except in IJiifo- 

 nida'), in es[)eeia] contrast to the a])i)arent absence of all but the weakest 

 modifications amoii^' the iJanida'. This is in eompeiisatioii lor the 

 structure of the sternum, whose lateral halves, beiii^' movable on each 

 other, olVer a sli;.!;liter basis of resistance for the llcxor and extensor 

 muscles of the fore limbs. 



Ill the I)isco,<i!ossi(lii-, r>ombiiiator extends the natatory membrane 

 in the male, but does not develoj) horny plates. In Diseoglossiis two 

 lilelike oval plates cover the superior surface of the short second diyit 

 and tile tiiberelelike lirst or thumb, which is here developed as in no 

 other anurous ])atiacliiaii. Dermal ruf-osities on the upper and under 

 surfaces, iiiclii'linj;- the j;ular ref,Mon, are armed with corneous tips, as in 

 Teiiuatoliiits. Xo peculiarity has been noticed in Alyt'.'S. The Aste- 

 I'ophrydida' are unknown as to this point. 



In I'elodytes file-like jilates are developed one on the se(!ond and one 

 on the third dij;it, one much lar<;eron the fort^arm, one sli<;htly smaller 

 oil tlie inside of t lie humerus, and a small one on each side of the breast. 



Aiiioiif'' S('aphioi)ida' the Anierieaii speiaes dexelop eloii.i;at(! lamina' 

 on I lie superior inner face of the inner (second), third, and even fourth 

 dibits. No peculiarities are recorded as appearinii' in the IOnroi>eaii 

 species. Many Ilylida- — Aj:alyehnis, Traehyeephalus — develop a cor- 

 neous shield on the inner sui)erior aspect of the inner metacarpal, which 

 is proloii^cd on the dij^it. 



While no appendaj^es of the season have been observed in some 

 Oysli^natliida', in several {genera two acute spurs appear on the suiierior 



MM. 'riidiiiiis and Dcli.sic Ii.im' pioiiosi'd to dividt' 

 till' Aiiiiia into Iwo .uroii|is. iiiiiiiiiii; llii'iii llic AlamidfXi'.s and Iiijj;iiiiiiiiii|ik'.\OH. Sen 



On aci-iiiiiit of Iliis dillcii 

 Ai 





« 



,1. 



II. 



.Toiiinal dc Zocilduio, \i. Is77, ]>. 4T',*. 



Ii!: 



II : 



Ml. 



