iql 



: 'S: 



2.')G HIILI.KTIN 31, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The generic form.s lue all poeiiliar to their zoolojjical regions, except 

 Hyla, lound wherever its family occurs, jind IJorboroco'tes, coinnion to 

 Anstraliii and the southern jiortion of South America. 



The number of species so far known to inhabit these regions is as 

 follows : 



Roftio AiistniliH 

 K. Ncotriipica .. 

 K.NeiUcticii.... 



:{•;:{ 



w 



Total «H1 



In two ifiiioiiH .. 1 



H. ruliiiirlirii... 

 H. .Kthiopica... 

 Ik. l*.il:i'()tr<i|ii('a 



44r> 



Vi 



it 



Total .... 

 Ill two rcjiioiiN 



.1; 



The small proportion «)f species occurring in the Old World, exclu- 

 sive of Australia, is evident, though the.v represent six families, while 

 those of the Mew Worhl represent but six also. 



The tribe Arcifera was lirst delinetl audits extent and distribution 

 indicated by the author in the Natural History Keview, 18(!r», thouj;h 

 explaiiu'd a year previ<uisly at a meeting of the Zoological Hoeiety of 

 liiiiidon. The sternal feature i-haracteri/ing it was noti«red by Stei-t- 

 /.(•u, Cuvier, and others in isolated cases, but its geiu-ral signiticance 

 not perceived. Dug' (Hecherches, 01) attiiluites it to the tree toads, 

 the toads, and the llombinator, Alytes, and I'eloltales. In iStannius's 

 Zootoude <ler Amphibien (7.'{) it is assigned to the Aglossa and I'.id'o, 

 as distinguished from liana and ("ystignatlius. The chaiacters »»f llu^ 

 last genus must have been talu'ii from the Old World Cassina (formerly 

 called ('ystignatlius). as the structure in C'ystignathus and its allies is 

 that of the true Arcifera. 



J)lSCO<i'LOSSIl).K.* 



Cope, Nat. Hist. Rev., If'd.^C.Ian.) : Joiirii. I'liila. Ac. ISiil. p. 71 : I.ata.sto, 

 ,\(ti'Milt' la Soc. Mini, ill' IJortli'aii.x, l."'7'.t, p.ii77; Hoiiltiififi, Cifl. Hair. 

 Sal. IJrit. Mils., l-^-.'.tll. 



Vertebra' opistliocu'l.+ Diapophyses of sacrum dilated. I'rostyle 

 with ii basal diapoi>liysis. Ribs pri'seiit.| IJones of distal carpal series 

 all distinct. Sternum of two slender iu)stero-e\teiiorly ilivcrgiiig libro- 

 cartilaginous or cartilaginous styles. 



In the known genera tiuigiie is round, entire, and little or not at all 

 free beliiml. Males without vocal vesicle. 



A marked peculiarity characterizes tin' larva- of (his family. The 

 spiracle or branchial opening is situated on the median line below, 

 while in all of- • tongiied Aniira it is situated on the left side. 



If we commenei^ the series of the Arcifera wi'li the great family of 

 the Cystiginithidie, we will end it with the families Asteiophiytlida' 

 and Discoglossida*, which are perhaps ei|ii:illy connected with that 

 which precedes them — the Scaphiopoditbe, The former leads to \«'n- 

 opiis through Paheobatrachiis; the latter, as far as our present kiiowl- 



•l':at<-7H. 



t olisprvril liy Diijit'M ami (icrvais in Alytes. 



{<JI»sfrvi'(l liy l>ii;>csin Al\ tcs and Moinli iialor, ,iinl liy Daim'iil in l>isc(i;;lo.ssii.s. 



:4l*< 



