204 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [Mar. 20, 



spots on the feathers of the upper surface rufous-buff instead of 

 whitish yellow. 



Total length. Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



in. in. in. in. in. 



,r 7-7 / • [ 2 ad. . . 18-5 



N. mandibularis i , • , o n 



I (S imm. . . IS'O 



N. caledonicus, cS ad 19"5 



N. manillensis 21*0 



66. Sterna longipennis. 



Stefna longipennis, Nordm. ; Salvad. t. c. iii. p. 439. 

 a. (S ad. Rubiana; 4.3.87. Bill black; legs black; feet 

 black. Food, fish. 



March 20, 1888. 

 Henry Seebohm, Esq., F.Z.S., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Note on the Classification of the Ranidce. 



By Gr. A. BoULENGER. 



[Eeceived February 10, 1888.] 



When revising the arrangement of the tailless Batrachians for the 

 second edition of the British Museum Catalogue (1882), I had very 

 great difficulty in dealing with the subdivision of the large family 

 Ranidce. I had to abandon the Platy- and Oxydactyle character as 

 a generic one, finding that, to say nothing of the complete inter- 

 gradation which destroys its itsefulness as an artificial character, it 

 did not, by itself, ex[)ress affinity, and that in consequence satisfac- 

 tory series could not be formed upon the degree of dilatation or 

 acumination of the digits. As an instance, I may refer to Ranee 

 malaharica, galamensis, macrodactyla, and lateralis, which are 

 unquestionably very intimately related to such forms as constitute 

 the platydactyle group Hylorana of certain authors (J?, erythrcea, 

 temporalis, chalconota. Sic), and yet are more 'oxydactyle' than 

 Ranee macrodon, kuhlii, and many others which have by all authors, 

 and very justly, been regarded as true Ranee. I cannot see that the 

 union of all these species, however numerous, under one genus, 

 Bana, presents any serious inconvenience. On the contrary, the 

 systematist should form well-defined genera, regardless of the 



