1898.] BATEACHIAJif COLLECTION- IN THE BRITISH MUSETTil. 473 



shell and coral which had escaped from it. The ventral vessel and 

 nerve-cord were conspicuous. 



As only one specimen of this species has hitherto heen described, 

 it is peculiarly unfortunate that the state of preservation of the 

 one I had precluded minuter investigation. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXXVH. 



Fig. 1. S. rotumanus, n. sp., p. 4fi9. Head, x4. 



2. „ „ Anus and surrounding skin, X4. 



3. ,, „ A portion of the skin to show tbe densely black 

 papillge and the arrangement of the circular muscles, x4. 



4. S. funafuti, n. sp., p. 470. The oesophagus in this specimen is slightly 



everted in the centre of the crown of tent!\cles. Nat. size. 



5. S. funafuti, n . sp. A piece of skin from the middle of the body showing 



the longitudinal and circular muscles and the scattered papillte. 

 Highly magnified. 



6. Physcosoma pacificiim Eef., p. 470. The posterior narrow tail of the 



animal, showing the last loop of the intestine, the spindle-muscle, 

 and the backward extension of the nephridia — black — to the extreme 

 posterior end of the body. Nat. size. 



7. Physcosoma microdontoton Sluit., p. 471. a. Entire animal, x4. 



h. Head viewed en face, X 12. 



8. Aspidosiphon elegans Cham. & Eysenh., p. 471. a. Entire animal, x2. 



b. Anus and anterior shield, X .5. c. Posterior shield, X 10. d. Hook, 

 highly magnified. 



9. Aspidosiphon klun::ingeri Sel. & Biilow, p. 471. a. Entire animal. 



X2. b. Posterior shield. X4. c. Anterior shield. x4. 



10. Clceosiplion aspergillum Quatr., p. 471. a. Entire animal, X2. b. A 



ieyt papillse, more higlily magnified. 



11. Thalasseyna caudcx Lamp., p. 472. Ventral view, nat. size. 



12. Tka/assema vegrande Lnvap., p. 4c72. Ventro-lateral view, yVo. 



3. Fourth Report on Additions to the Batracfiian Col- 

 lection in the Natural-History Museum.^ By G. A. 



BOULENGER, F.R.S. 



[Received May 17, 1898.] 

 (Plates XXXVin. & XXXIX.) 



Owing to the increasing attention paid by zoological collectors 

 to this much neglected group of Vertebrates, the number of 

 species of Tailless Batrachians represented in the National Col- 

 lection is steadily rising. In the Second Eeport, published in 

 1890, I pointed out that the increase in the number of species of 

 which specimens had been acquired has been at the rate of 10 per 

 annum from 18.58 to 1868, of 15 from 1868 to 1882, of 16 from 

 1882 to 1886, and of 18^ from 1886 to 1890. It has risen to 

 19| from 1890 to 1894, and to 28| from 1898 to the present date, 

 as shown by the following list. 



A proportional increase in the additions to the collection of 

 Tailed Batrachians is also observable on comparison with the 

 previous lists. 



1 Cf. P. Z. S. 1894, p. 640. 



