1896.] BATBACUrANS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 911 



25. BUFO PBNANGENSIS, Stol. 



Ansonia penanrjensi.1, Stol. J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 152, pi. ix. fig. 4. 



Bufo penanf/ensis, Boul. Cut. Batr. Sal. p. 287. 



This small Toad was disfovered by Stoliczka at Penang : he 

 obtained two specimens near the great waterfall, and two in 

 a narrow gorge about halfway up the Penang Hill. 



Ilab. Malay Peninsula and Borneo. 



26. Bupo MELANOSTiCTUS, Schn. (Plate XLIV. fig. 3.) 



Bufo melanoHictas, Cantor, p. 142 ; Boul. Cat. Batr. Sal. p. 30G ; 

 Boul.' Paun. Brit. Ind., Eept. p. 505 (fig. p. 506). 



Cantor (p. 143) says " in the Malayan countries this species 

 swarms in valleys and hills." Stoliczka (J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 156) 

 mentions this species from Penang, Province Wellesley, Malacca, 

 and Singapore. In the British Museum there are specimens from 

 Penang, Perak, and Singapore. I fouud this species in abundance 

 at Kulim, Kedah, at Taiping, Perak, in Penang, from within a 

 few yards of the sea to the top of the Hill (2500 ft.), and also 

 in Singapore. 



This Toad is very common in the Straits Settlements, biding 

 by day under stones or logs, in crevices, holes, etc., coming out 

 shortly before sunset, and remaining abroad till dawn ; it may be 

 met with on the roads and in the grass hopping or crawling about 

 in search of food — ants, bees, etc. It often utters a rather feeble, 

 plaintive cry when handled for the first time. It can change its 

 colour from a light yellowish-brown to dark brown. Malayan 

 specimens have not so distinct black marks on the ridges of the 

 head and black stars on the tubercles of tlie back as I have noticed 

 in specimens from the North- West Provinces of India. The males 

 in the breeding-season sometimes have the chin coloured bright 

 yellow. The spawn, which resembles that of Bufo vulgaris in 

 England, may be seen in March and April in ponds, in long strings 

 twined about the water- weeds. In April the ponds at Tanglin 

 were swarming with tadpoles, and their margins with minute 

 toads. The tadpoles are very like those of Bufo vulgaris both in 

 form, size, colour, and structure of mouth. The largest individual 

 of Bufo mdanostictus I found was in Penang, and measured 

 115 mm. from snout to vent. 



Ilab. India, Ceylon, Sikhim, Himalayas (up to 10,000 ft.). 

 Southern China, Camboja, Siam, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. 



Description of the Tadpole. (Plate XLIV. fig. 3.) 



Length of body about once and a half its width and about three 

 quarters the length of the tail. Nostril much nearer the eyes 

 than the end of tlie snout. Eyes on the upper surface of the 

 body ; the distance between them about twice as great as the 

 distance between the nostrils, and about equal to the width of the 

 mouth. Spiraculum on the left side, directed backwards, nearer 

 the anus than the end of the snout, visible from above and from 



Feoc. Zool. Soc— 1896, No. LIX. 59 



