518 The Philippine Journal of Science m* 



Rana vittigera Wiegmann. 



Raria vittigera Wiegmann, Nova Acta Acad. Leop. Carol. (1836) 

 225, pi. 21, fig. 1; Taylor, Philip. Journ. Sci. 16 (1920) 236, pi. 2, 

 fig. 3; Amphibians and Turtles of the Philippine Islands (1922) 37. 



In the recent papers of Anandale 2 and Boulenger 2 on the 

 identity of Rana tigrina Daudin and the allied forms, consider- 

 able light has been thrown on a difficult subject. In as much as 

 certain of their conclusions affect the specific designation of two 

 Philippine frogs — namely, R. vittigera Wiegmann and a form 

 which I have named R. moodiei — I deem it wise to reassert my 

 opinion in the light of these publications. My study of these 

 two forms was made and published before I had seen any of 

 the papers mentioned ; in fact, I had had no copy of Wiegmann's 

 paper describing the species. 



I recently obtained a copy of Wiegmann's description and 

 figure, and I am now more than ever convinced that the species 

 Rana vittigera Wiegmann is distinct from R. tigrina and its 

 allied forms and that Wiegmann's name should be applied to it. 



Wiegmann's specimens, from which he drew his type descrip- 

 tion and from which his figure was drawn, appear to have been 

 taken at Laguna de Bay, Luzon. He states: 



Diese Art findet sich sowohl auf der Insel Luzon in der Laguna de 

 Bay, als auch in China; an beiden Orten wird sie haufig gegessen, und 

 besonders auf dem Markte von Macao wird sie taglich zu Tausenden 



Many specimens I have taken near Laguna de Bay agree with 

 the drawing given in Plate 21, fig. 1, of Wiegmann's paper in 

 marking, the folding of the skin, the shape of the head, and 

 the general contour of the body. There is no free dermal fringe 

 along the outer edge of the fifth toe which occurs in R. tigrina 

 and allied forms. There is, however, a slight dermal fold, but 

 this is in no way similar to the membranous fringe on the outer 

 side of the toe in R. tigrina and R. moodiei. 



Wiegmann himself points out the similarities and differences 

 between Rana vittigera and R. limnocharis. However, if it has 

 been or can be proved that these two forms are identical, the 

 name R. vittigera will be used instead of R. limnocharis. In 

 fact, R. limnocharis is attributed to Boie, 3 but I find that the 

 species has always been attributed by subsequent authors to 

 Wiegmann. I presume that, as far as Boie is concerned, the 

 name is a nomen nudum. There is no outer metatarsal tubercle 



J Kec. Ind. Mus. 15 * (1918) 51-67. 'Wiegmann loc. cit. 



