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



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

 December 1857, on tbe Jungfernbeide, near Berlin, and wbich 

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



1867, p. 35). 



Tbe masterly figures given by Bosel (Hist. Ranar. pi. xviii., 

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

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

 xvi. 1863, p. 341, pi. i.), F. E. Scbulze (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). 



Pelobates fuseus has a wide distribution, being locally distributed 

 over Germany, Austria, Russia, Southern Svpeden, Denmark, 

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

 tremity of Switzerland, Piedmont, Lonibardy, and Bologna \ 



Owing to its burrowing habits, Pelobates fuseus 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 tbe 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. So. 

 Angers, xv. 1885, p. 72). Tbe larvse usually transform in July 

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

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

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

 1883, p. 134). 



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



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

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

 tbe mouth, or at least one half the width of tbe 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. fuseus. According to Heron Royer, each 

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

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

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

 shorter, hardly once and a half the length of tbe body. Tbe 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. supra, p. 615), who at tbe 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. 



1 As noticed by Crivelli (EencT. 1st. Lomb. 2, vi. 1873, p. 174) and Came- 

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

 Spallanzaui's Dissertations Nat. Hist. An. & Veget. (Engl, transl. ii. p. 122, 

 London, 1784), that P. fuseus was first discoTered in Italy, at Pavia, as early as 

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



