264 ON PHYLLOMEDUSA HYPOCHONDRIALIS. [Feb. 21, 
2. Notes on a South-American Frog lately living in the 
Society’s Gardens. By G. A. Boutenerr, C.M.ZS. 
[Received January 30, 1882. ] 
(Plate XITII.). 
The small Frog (Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis) which is the 
subject of this communication lived but a few days in the Society’s 
Gardens. It had been obtained at Pernambuco by Dr. Stradling ; 
and was, I believe, the first specimen of this species that has reaches 
Europe alive. 
In spite of its small size (34 millim: from. snout to vent), it is 
nearly adult, the species to which it belongs never growing to a size 
superior to that of the common Tree-frog of Europe ; whilst Phyllome- 
dusa bicolor, of which P. hypochondrialis has frequently been re- 
garded as the young, reaches the largest size which any member of 
the family Hylidee attains, viz. 130 millim. from snout to vent. 
It is not necessary to enter into details concerning the structural 
characters of this animal, as these will be found in my ‘ Catalogue 
of the Batrachia Ecaudata in the British Museum’ (p. 434), where 
thirteen species of Phyllomedusa are distinguished ; but I think it 
well to state that the inner toe only is opposable to the others, as-has 
been figured by Burmeister in another species of the same genus, 
and not the two inner toes, as believed by many authors. 
The point of interest in the specimen, which I had the pleasure of 
observing alive, is the coloration. This is very different from that of 
spirit-specimens, and quite worthy of notice, as it does not appear 
to have been recorded before. 
When the animal sits half asleep on a leaf or against the glass of 
its case, the limbs folded against the body, as most Tree-frogs are 
in the habit of doing during the daytime, it is entirely of a light, 
rather faded green, without any markings. But when it stretches 
out its limbs, the aspect is very different, all the concealed surfaces, 
viz. the upper surface of the humerus, the two inner fingers, the 
flanks, the lateral and upper surfaces of the femur with the exception 
of ‘a narrow green streak (the only part of the femur seen when the 
limbs are folded), the inner side of the tarsus and the three inner 
toes, being of a bright orange-colour, elegantly marked with trans- 
verse purplish-black bars. 
The upper lip has a very narrow white margin. A fine blackish 
line extends from the angle of the mouth to the middle of the side, 
separated by a white streak from the green of the back. Another 
blackish line round the lower lip; another, white-margined, along 
the outer edge of the forearm and fourth finger, and tarsus and fifth 
toe. 
The lower surfaces are pure white, with the exception of the tibiz, 
which are orange. 
The iris is silvery white, as has been figured by Burmeister in 
Phyllomedusa burmeisteri. 
