168 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences^ Arts and Letters. 



2. Toes more or less webbed ; upper maxillary and vomer-palatlne teeth pres- 



ent ; tympanum distinct ; fingers and toes with disks at then- tips ; skin 

 more or less granulated ; tongue usually simply notched at the free ex- 

 tremity; chiefly arboreal Hylidce. 



3. Toes webbed ; posterior limbs hardly as long as the body ; skin usually warty ; 



tympanum small and not apparent; jaws without teeth; tongue entire at 



free extremity; terrestrial, nocturnal, and insectivorous Bufoniedoe 



FAMILY RANIDiE. THE FROGS. 



Represented by one genus and five species. 

 The following is a key to species of the genus: 



Rana, L. 



(a). Dorsal region with large and distinct irregular dark spots in usually two 

 (rarely more and these scattered) rows upon a greenish or brownish back- 

 ground; beneath very white or yellowish; eyes jjr eminent and usually 



with two dark blotches between them ' halecina. 



(b). Dorsal region with or without smcdl dark spots: 



(1). Color green or brown; irregularly spotted (or speckled) on the legs and 

 sides with dark which may reach to the dorsal region ; beneath white 



to yellow ; irides yellow. clamitans. 



(3) . Reddish or greenish brown ; a dark line passes through the tympanum 

 and eye, often reaching to the nostrils ; legs usually barred or blotched 

 with dark above; tympanum small; beneath yellowish or whitish. 



temporia, var. sylvatica. 

 (3). Greenish brown with dark irregular spots which are conspicuous on the 

 legs and sides ; beneath yellowish, often mottled with dark brown ; 

 tympanum large; animal very large and muscular; pupils black; 

 irides green Catesbyana 



B,. halecina, Kalm. Leopard Frog. 



L. 3 to 4 inches; posterior limb 6 inches; in wet places and especially in 

 marshes and along streams; common. 



jR. clamitans, Daudin. Green or Spring Frog. 



Thighs granulated posteriorly: L. 2-3 inches; posterior limb about 4 in. ; 

 anterior limb about 1| in.; common along brooks and ponds; often in wet 

 weather may be found wandering to some distance from any stream. 



R. temporania, L. Var. sylvatica, Le Conte. "Wood Frog. 



L. 2 inches; posterior limb about 2^ in.; anterior limb about li; in damp 

 woods among leaves; not rare. 



R nigrescens, Ag. Black Frog. 



Prof. Agassiz determined a specimen caught at Racine as the Nigricans; 

 Rare." Hoy. 



1 B. palustris has the dorsal spots usually square, in four rows with smaller spots scat- 

 tered irregularly outside. 



