1885.] GERMAN RIVER-FROG. 66/ 



Rana esculenta, var., Pfliiger, Arch. f. Phys. xxix. j). 67 (1882), 

 and xxxii. p. .522 (1883). 



Ranafortis, Boulenger, The Zoologist, xlii. p. 220 (1884). 



Diagnosis. — A. large, strongly built form, with long hind limbs, 

 the tibia proportionately longer than in the typical form ; inner 

 metatarsal tubercle relatively small, elliptical, feebly prominent, not 

 compressed, measuring 2 to 45 millim. in specimens in which the 

 inner toe measures 9 to 15 millim. Olive, bronzy olive, or dull 

 green above, with blackish-olive spots ; usually a pale green vertebral 

 band ; no yellow on any part of the body ; hinder side of thighs 

 olive, or greenish white marbled with dark olive. Vocal sacs grey. 



Dimensions. 



6. ?• 



millim. millim. 



From snout to vent 98 104 



Length of head 30 32 



^k\{h of head 32 36 



Diameter of the eye 8 8 



Interorbital space 3 3 



From the eye to the nostril 6 7 



From the eye to the tip of the snout .... 13 15 



Diameter of the tympanum 6 7 



Fore limb 48 49 



Hind limb 135 160 



Tibia 42 50 



Foot (from outer metatarsal tubercle) .... 44 51 



Inner toe (from inner metatarsal tubercle) .12 15 



Inner metatarsal tubercle 4 4*5 



Description. — The snout is normally broadly rounded, its length 

 measuring half its width (from a transverse line passing on the 

 anterior border of the orbits) ; in the extremes it measures two 

 fifths or three fifths its width, as seen in the accompanying figures 

 (Fig. 1, p. 668, where a and c represent the two extreme forms, fig. b 

 the normal). The cantbi rostrales are obtuse, and the loreal regions 

 very oblique. The nostril is nearly equidistant from the eye and the 

 end of the snout. The interorbital space is very narrow, measuring 

 less than half the width of the upper eyelid, and usuallj more 

 or less distinctly grooved longitudinally. The diameter of the 

 tympanum equals half, or nearly half, that of the orbit. 



The hind limb being stretched forwards, the tibio-tarsal articulation 

 reaches the eye or halfway between the latter and the end of the 

 snout ; there is no considerable difference in respect to the sexes. 

 The legs or tibise being folded against the thighs and maintained at 

 right angles to the vertebral column, their extremities overlap ; to 

 ascertain this character with precision, it is necessary not to force 

 the tibial extremities together, but to allow due space for the fleshy 

 parts. In the typical B. esculenta, the extremities of the tibia 

 either abut or are separated by a short interspace. This of course 



