r 



THE HATRACIIIA or NOUTII AMI•:^ICA. 



295 



DENDUOl'UltYMSCIDE. 



This f.iinily is said by Boulenger to (litter from the Cystipfnathidrt"!, 

 only in the absence of the preinaxillary and niaxillary teeth. 

 Tliere are bnt two genera, as follows: 



No vomerine teotli. Tonj^iic ciitin^ly iiillieront; no tyiiipiimiiii nor Kiist.icliiiin tnlios; 



toes webbed, external met lit iirsals united ; omosternumandMternum cartilaginous; 



terminal pliaiaiifft's siinjdi' /ItilrachophrijiiiiH Peters. 



No vomerine teetb ; toMj;u(! IVei; posteriorly; ling<!rs and toes sliglilly \vel)bcd ; the 



tips dilated; no omosternuin ; .slernnin with osseous style. 



IkndroiihryninvKH Espatla. 



There are but two species of IJatrachophrynus, whi(!h are from Pern. 

 The single species of Deudrophryni.scus was fonnd near Kiode Janeiro. 



/ .. 



ASTEKOPITRYDID.E.* 



Vertebra' opisthoccrlous. Oiapophysis of sacrum dilated, of urostyle 

 wanting; the latter attached by but one cotyloid cavity (except in one 

 genus), liibs none. Sternum undivided. 



In the known genera the external nietatarsi not separated for a web; 

 terminal i)halanges continuous, simple. O. frontoparietalia no> strongly 

 ossified medially, but without fontanelle. Superior plate of the ethmoid 

 well developed anteriorly. Ear perfectly developed. 



Genera: Cryptotis, Gthr. ; Asterophrys, Tsch. ; Megalophrys, Knhl. 



Tlio Pala'obatrachidii,' ditt'er from tliis fanuly in the conversion oi 

 tlieir seventh, eighth, and nintli vertebral centra and diapophyses into 

 a-sacrum, instead of the ninth oidy. The supposed osseous covering ot 

 the cavuni tympain and tuba Eustachii, is not contlrmed l)y the re- 

 searches of Walterstorrt". 



Cryptotis, the oidy Australian genus of the family, possesses two 

 sacral condyles for the ai ticidatioii of the coc^cyx ; it has a long tooth, 

 like process on the os dentale, similnr to that seen in Rano. macroiloii 

 f iid /»*. laihUi. 



The other genera belong to the Malayan Islands. There are no arbo- 

 real or aquidic forms embraced in this fauiily. The whole number of 

 species known is five. 



a. Toes free. 



Two itostsacral (■(in<lyles; o, dentale with a dentiform process; vomerine teeth; 



no parotoids ; sliM'niim a eartila;;inous plate t ('rjiploiiH. 



Ono [lostsaeral eondyle. No dentiform process, llrad lar;;e, an;;ular; upper 

 palpebral border with culancousappi'ndages. Vomeiiiie teeth. Ton^juo en- 

 tirely adherent. 'I'ymiianum hidden, perl'e(;t Islvrophrnf. 



an. Toes partially wcblicd. 



One i)ostsacr;(l eonilyle; vomerine teeth little (levcl<)]ied ; sternum with u bony 

 style; tonjriK! luo.'id, free behind (tyni|)anniM concealed) Mctjalophriin, 



\ 



rinteOS. 



t Teste Honlenger. 



