616 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [NoV. 17, 



on record is one preserved in the Berlin Museum, obtained in 

 December 18G7, on the Jungfernheide, near Berlin, and which 

 measures 175 niillim. (E. v. Martens, Sitzb. Ges. nat. Fr. Berl. 

 1867, p. 35). 



The masterly figures given by RiJsel (Hist. Ranar. pi. xviii., 

 1758) are still unequalled. The structure of tlie mouth and lips 

 has been described and figured by Van Bambeke (Bull. Ac. Belg. 2, 

 xvi. 1863, p. 341, pi. i.), F. E. Schulze (Abb. Ak. Berl. 1888, 

 p. 4, pis. i.-iv.), Heron Royer and Van Bambeke (Arch, de Biol, 

 ix. 1889, pi. xviii. fig. 7, and pi. xix. fig. 1), and Gutzeit (Zeitschr. 

 wiss. Zool. xlix. 1889, p. 50, pi. ii. fig. 16). 



Felobates fuscus has a wide distribution, being locally distributed 

 over Germany, Austria, Russia, Southern Sweden, Denmark, 

 Belgium, Northern and Central France, the North-western ex- 

 tremity of Switzerland, Piedmont, Lombardy, and Bologna \ 



Owing to its burrowing habits, Pelobates fuscus is only found in 

 localities where the soil is particularly light, and it usually chooses 

 deep ponds for depositing its spawn. The breeding-season falls 

 normally between the end of March and the beginning of May; 

 but it has been observed near Ghent, in Belgium, as late as the 

 21st of July (Van Bambeke, in Heron Royer, Bull. Soc. Et. Sc. 

 Angers, xv. 1885, p. 72). The larvae usually transform in July 

 and August ; that, under special circumstances, the larvae may hi- 

 bernate, is shown by the observations of Kollmann (Rec. Zool. 

 Suisse, i. 1883, p. 75) and Pfliiger (Arch. f. Ges. Phys. xxxi. 

 1883, p. 134). 



13. Pelobates ctjltripes, Cuv. (Plate XLVI. fig. 8.) 



Differs from the preceding in the following points : — The nostrils 

 are wider apart, the distance between them equalling the width of 

 the mouth, or at least one half the width of the interocular space. 

 The series of labial teeth are more broken up, and their arrangement 

 is therefore less easily expressed by a formula, although practically 

 of the same type as in P. fuscus. According to He'ron Royer, each 

 series presents several curves ; but such an arrangement is not dis- 

 tinctly shown by the tadpoles before me, which I owe to M. Heron 

 Royer himself ; that character is therefore not constant. The tail is 

 shorter, hardly once and a half the length of the body. The lines of 

 crypts are usually more distinct than in the allied species, owing to 

 the black colour of the tubules ; their arrangement has been figured 

 by Lataste {cf. suj)ra, p. 615), who at the same time observes that 

 they are liable to no inconsiderable individual variation. 



The colour is described by Lataste as reddish yellow above, 

 greyish or bluish white beneath ; tail with small brown spots. 



' As noticed by CriTelli (Eend. 1st. Lomb. 2, vi. 1873, -g. 174) and Came- 

 rano (Boll. Mus. Torin. i. 1886, no. 9), it may be seen, by referring to 

 Spallanzaui's Dissertations Nat. Hist. An. & Vcget. (Engl, tra'usl. ii. p. 122, 

 London, 1784), that P. fusMis was first discovered in Italy, at Pavia, as early as 

 1780. The animal is described by Spallanzani in an unmistakable manner. 



