612 MR. G. A. BOXJLENGER ON THE [NoV. 1 7, 



9. BuFO VULGARIS, Laur. (Plate XLVI. fig. 4.) 



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

 to two thirds the length of the tail. Nostrils much nearer the eyes 

 than to the end of the snout. Eyes on the upper surface ; the distance 

 between them about twice as" great as the distance between the 

 nostrils, and equal to or somewhat less than the width of the mouth. 

 Spiraculum on the left side, directed backwards, nearly equidistant 

 from either extremity of the body, not very prominent, but visible 

 from above and from below. Anus median. Tail three to four 

 times as long as deep, broadly rounded at the end ; both crests 

 nearly equal in depth, with nearly straight and parallel edges ; the 

 depth of the muscular part of the tail, at its base, two fifths the greatest 

 total depth. 



Beak white, broadly edged with black. Lips with papillae only 

 at the sides, which form an inward fold ; both upper and lower 

 edge toothed, the series of labial teeth being | ; the second upper 

 series nearly as long as the first, and very narrowly interrupted in 

 the middle; the three lower series uninterrupted and occupying 

 nearly the whole width of the lip. 



Lines of muciferous crypts not or scarcely traceable. 



Blackish brown or black above, blackish grey beneath ; muscular 

 part of tail dark brown or blackish ; crests grey, finely speckled as 

 if powdered with black. 



The tadpole of this, the largest European Batrachian, is very small. 

 The largest specimen measured by me is 32 millim. long : body 12, 

 width of body 8 ; length of tail 20, depth of tail 5. The recently 

 transformed young measures only 8 to 12 millim. from snout to 

 vent. 



Descriptions or figures of the tadpole of Bufo vulgaris are given 

 by Rosel (Hist. Ran. p. 94, pi. xxi., 1758), Lataste (Actes Soc. 

 Linn. Bord. xxx. 1876, p. 288, pi. x. figs. 10-12), Heron Royer 

 and Van Bambeke {I. c. p. 291, pi. xxiii. fig. 1), and Bedriaga 

 (Bull. Soc. Mosc. 1889, p. 362.) 



The Common Toad inhabits the whole of Europe, Northern and 

 Temperate Asia, as far east as Mantchuria, Japan, and China \ and 

 North-west Africa. 



In Central Europe the breeding-season, which lasts only a few 

 days, falls between the beginning of March and the middle of April, 

 and the young leave the water between the middle of May and the 

 end of June. 



10. Buro viRiDis, Laur. (Plate XLVI. fig. 5.) 



Although nearer the latter species, B. viridis may be regarded as, 

 in some respects, intermediate between B, vulgaris and B. calamita ; 

 and this view is supported by the characters of the tadpole, which 



^ A specimen was recently obtained by Mr. A. E. Pratt at an altitude of 

 17,000 feet in the Province of Sze Ghuen. -In the Alps it does not seem to 

 extend higher np than 7000 feet. 



