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3S4 



miLhi'/riN :tt, umtkd states national museum. 



Tliis tiilM' lu'l()iij,'s, par excellence, to the Old World. Two of tlie rmni- 

 lies, which include but few 8pecie8, beloiij^ to the Mew, vi/, the Den- 

 drobatidn" and the (Jolostethida^, and a few species of the Knyystoniida' 

 aiul JMii'.vniscida^ also occur in tropical America. The Itaniihe have a 

 nuMd)t'r()f reprcsentativi's in North America. The Cophylida- and D.vs- 

 cophidn' exist only in jNIadajjascar, exceptin;; one species of the latter 

 in India. Tlu^ jfco^^raphical distribution of the families is as follows : 



The resemblance to the Neotroi>ical fauna displayed by Madagascar 

 in its li/ards and snakes is also seen in the IJatraciiia in the [U'csence of 

 a yenns and four species of the family Dendrobatida;. 



BUJ'JVICIPITIILE* 



Cope, Jourii. Ac. riiila., 18(57, p. I'Jl. 



I. I'rcf'rontals withly woparatcd; otlimoid arch not osMiliod. 



A rn)ii(oi>:irictal Iniit. .; oar pfrCoctly tlcvrlopt'd ; tiie.s IVci^ ; no ])arotoid 



fjlaiids; head not distinct from body ; no voincriiii'. tcclli.. Ilrcriapn Mvvivm. 



VoiiUM'iiio teeth present Hhunihnphrijiic ISiett^jer. 



The characters of Khorabophryne are so far unknown that its perti- 

 nence to the family IJrevicipitida^ is entirely uncertain, nor is it known 

 to possess the characters of Division A. The species of Urevicipitida; 

 are l'ithio])ian. 



IJXGYSTOMID.K* 



Copo,,Ionrn.Ac. Phila., 18G7, p. 11)1. 



I. Elhiiiuid ardi not ossilied; ])refrontal.s widely separated. 

 A. A frontoparietal foiitanelle ; terminal pluilanges with tran.sverse limb. 

 Ear perfectly developed ; toes free; no metatarsal sliovel 



rhrynomnulis I'eters. 



II. Kthmoid arch ossilied ; prefrontals fully developed, in contact with each other 



and frontoparietiils ; latter complete. 

 A. Terminal i)hahinges with transverse limb, anteriorly at least. 



" No tympanum or cavum tympani; Eustachian ostiandnnto" ; toes webbed ■ 

 no jialatine teeth ; siibdigital parts small, simple MitroJniln Tschndi. 



I'npil horizontal; no vomerine teetli; toes webbed; subdigital tubercles of 

 manus largo, forming adhesive pallets PhrynvUa I$lgr. 



Tympanum, cavum tympani, and Eustachian ostia; foes withwebor its rudi- 

 ment; no ij.ilatino teeth CaUiila (Jray. 



Tympanum present; toes free; palate with a large curved tooth on each 

 side Xenobatrachns Peters & Doria. 



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• Plato 74. 



