1891.] TADPOLES OF THE EUROPEAN BATRACHIANS. 623 



and parallel with the anterior extremity of the latter. But in a fine 

 specimen from Ballaigues, Switzerland, sent to me by my friend Dr. 

 de Bedriaga, the lines of crypts are much more distinct and blackish ; 

 in addition to the series described above, it shows the second dorsal 

 line prolonged to the base of the tail, which also bears two lines, the 

 upper being on the upper caudal crest ; a short series descends 

 vertically from below the centre of the eye, another, curved, from 

 below the anterior extremity of the dorsal lines, a third on each side 

 of the mouth, and a fourth extends on each side of the belly, from 

 the level of the spiraculum nearly to the origin of the hind limbs, 

 its anterior extremity bent downwards and forwards. This specimen 

 is figured above, p. 598, fig. 3, C. 



Lead-grey to blackish above, uniform or with round blackish 

 spots ; sides with large silvery or pale golden spots ; belly greyish 

 white with metallic spots ; tail with numerous dark brown dots or 

 round black spots, which are very apparent on the greyish-white 

 crests. Nearly black tadpoles are on record (Heron Royer, Bull. 

 Soc. Zool. France, 1878, p. 62), and an albino has been figured 

 (Lataste, Actes Soc. Linn. Bord. xxxiv. 1880, pi. xi.). 



The largest tadpoles I have seen were obtained by me in company 

 with my friend M. Lataste, in May 1882, at St. Germain-en-Laye, 

 near Paris. The following are the measurements of one of them : — 

 Total length 80 millim. : body 28, width of body 21 ; tail 52, depth 

 of tail 19. Heron RoyerandVan Bambeke also mention specimens 

 85 miUim. long, and Fischer-Sigwart (' Das Thierlebeu im Terra- 

 rium,' Zofingen, 1889, p. 61) gives 90 millim. as the maximum 

 length ; but this size is exceptional, some specimens, although full- 

 grown, not exceeding 40 millim. 



I cannot find any constant character differentiating the Spanish- 

 Portuguese tadpoles (var. boscce, Lataste) from the typical form, 

 except that the tail is usually spotted with deeper black. 



The tadpole of Alytes obstetricans has been described and figured 

 many times. In addition to the anatomical works of C. Vogt (Unlers. 

 lib. d. Entwickl. d. Geburtshelferkrote, Solothurn, 1842), Keiffer 

 (Arch, de Biol. ix. 1888, p. 55, pis. iii. & iv.), and Heron Royer and 

 Van Bambeke {t. c. p. 285, pi. xxii. fig. 1), containing information 

 respecting the buccal characters, the contributions must be mentioned 

 of Pontallie (Ann. Sc. Nat. 3, xviii. 1852, p. 248), Lataste (Actes 

 Soc. Linn. Bord. xxi. 1876, p. 446, pi. ix. figs. 1-3, 7-9), Heron 

 Royer (Bull. Soc. Zool. 1878, p. 132, pi. iii. figs. 9-11), and 

 Bedriaga (Bull, Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1889, p. 603, and " Les Larves des 

 Batraciens de Portugal," Coimbre, 1891, p. 12). 



The Midwife Toad is common nearly all over France ', in Belgium 

 (Provinces of Namur, Liege, and Luxemburg), in Switzerland, 

 distributed locally in Germany as far east as Brunswick and 

 Thuringia (Nehring, Sitzb. Ges. nat. Fr. Berl. 1887, p. 48, and 

 Naturw. Wochenschrift (BerUn), v. 1890, p. 278 ; Wolterstorflp, Zooi. 



^ I hare failed to find it in the northern parts of Ille-et-Vilaine and the 

 adjoining parts of the 06t.es-du-Nord, although the species is said by Pontallie 

 to be quite common near Rennea. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1891, No. XLIL 42 



