lft M. G. A. Boulenger on little-known 



II. — .Votes on little-known Species of Frogs. 



By G. A. Boulenger. 



Rana septentrionalis } Baird. 



Rana septentrionalis, Baird, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1855, p. 51 ; Boulenger, 

 Cat Batr. Ecaud. p. 37. 



Rana sinuata, Baird, /. c. 



Rana circulosa, Rice and Davis, in Jordan's Man. Vertebr. 2nd edit, 

 p. 355. 



When I published my ( Catalogue of Batrachia Ecaudata ? 

 this frog was known to me only from the rather incomplete de- 

 scription of Prof. Baird. M. F. Lataste has now communicated 

 to me three specimens (one male and two females), which have 

 been sent to him from Canada by Dr. Gamier under the name 

 of Rana circulosa. Though the abstract of the description 

 of Messrs. Rice and Davis, given in Prof. Jordan's manual, 

 is far from containing the characters upon which a species 

 should rest, I have little doubt, judging from the coloration, 

 that Dr. Garnier's identification is correct. Neither can there 

 be any doubt as to the correctness of my identification of this 

 frog w r ith Rana septentrionalis, the characters assigned to 

 that species and R. sinuata (both have been united by Mr. 

 Cope) being applicable to the female specimens before me. I 

 accordingly believe myself justified in regarding R. circulosa 

 as a synonym of R. septentrionalis. 



The following diagnosis is taken from the above-mentioned 

 specimens, one of which has been retained for the national 

 collection : 



Vomerine teeth in two small groups close together, extend- 

 ing a little beyond the hinder edge of the choanse. Head 

 moderate ; snout rounded, with slightly distinct canthus ros- 

 tralis ; interorbital space very narrow ; tympanum very dis- 

 tinct, almost as large as the eye in the female, much larger in 

 the male. Fingers rather pointed, first not extending beyond 

 the second ; toes not webbed to the tips ; subarticular tubercles 

 of fingers and toes rather small ; a single small metatarsal 

 tubercle. The hind limb being carried forwards along the 

 body, the tibio- tarsal articulation reaches' the posterior border 

 or the centre of the eye. Skin smooth ; an extremely in- 

 distinct, depressed, glandular, lateral fold, apparently absent 

 in the male. Brownish olive above, spotted or marbled with 

 blackish, or blackish olive with light vcnuiculation j hinder 

 side of thighs black-and-white marbled ; lower surfaces in*- 



