536 



MR. D. W. DEVANESEN ON THE 



and slender ones of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and the eighth 

 vertebra (those of the last three being directed conspicuously 

 forward), the much dilated one of the sacrum, and the crestless 

 urostyle combine to give a characteristic appearance to the 

 vertebral column of this toad (text-fig. 6). It may be mentioned 

 that the sacral diapophyses are remarkable for their uncommonly 

 well-developed epiphysial cartilage at their free edges. 



Text-fio-ure 6. 



A dorsal view of the bones of tlie vertebral column of Cacopus systoma. 



I noticed an interesting abnormality in one specimen, namely 

 the occurrence of two sacral vertebrae, the' posterior one being 

 fused with the urostyle. This condition is found normally to 

 exist in Pelohates, Pipa, and Symenochirus (5, p. 22). 



• 6. The Apjjendicular Skeleton. 



In the pectoral girdle the absence of the precoracoid probably 

 necessitated the disappearance of the omosternum and the 

 episternum. In the place of the sternum proper and the xiphi- 

 sternum, one finds a broad, flat plate of cartilage generally calci- 

 fied in the centre. ' This plate gives attachment to four different 



