THE BATRACHIA OF NORTH AMERICA. 69 



General forui very thick ami massive, altliongh the head is proper, 

 tionally small in mature specimens; uot as broad as the body. The 

 skiu appears quite smooth wheu fresh, especially when covered with 

 its epidermis. On removing this, however, the skin is seen everywhere 

 closely covered with shallow pits, interspersed with granidc-like pro- 

 jections of the glands. There is an indistinct line of pores on each side 

 of the head interior to the eye, but they can be scarcely traced else- 

 where. 



The parotoid region is much swollen, wider than the skull, and about 

 equal to the distance from snout to gular fold. The width of the jaws 

 is contained about four and one-half times in the distance to the groin, 

 a little more than five to the end of the anus. The gular fold is very 

 distinct, and even overlapping. The grooves behind the jaws and from 

 the eye, obliquely along the side of the head and neck, are also very 

 strongly marked. 



The eyes are moderate ; not prominent; the pupils circular. They are 

 distant from the nostrils.one orbit length and separated anteriorly 2^ 

 orbits ; the nostrils are separated one orbit. There is a decided con- 

 striction at the neck. 



The body is swollen and large, a little depressed; its circumference 

 at the widest is nine- tenths the distance from snout to groin. There 

 are twelve well-marked costal furrows from fore to hind leg, and five 

 pelvic; the fourth and fiftli uuitiug just behind the anus. 



The tail is about equal to the distance from snout to groin ; it is sub- 

 quadrate at base; 1^ as high as wide, but becomes immediately oval in 

 section, larger below, and more and more compressed to the tip. The 

 edges are, however, rounded to the terminal third, where they gradually 

 become sharp. 



The legs are stout, thickened, and rather short in proportion. The 

 digits are much depressed ; short, triangular in shape, tapering from 

 the broad oase to the tips, which are hardened and somewhat horny in 

 appearance. The free portion of the longest is about one third the 

 total length of the limb from elbow or knee; sometimes even less. In 

 the individuals which live on land the digits api^ear longer and more 

 cylindrical.. The expanse of the outstretched toes is about four fifths 

 the distance from snout to groin. 



The tongue is fleshy, broad, about half the width of the head, and 

 with the outline of the papillose portion slightly emarginate behind. 



The palatine teeth of this species extend across the palate very 

 nearly from one side of tlie upper jaw to the other. The series is 

 oniy interrupted along the median line; sometimes scarcely so. The 

 line is obtusely angularly rounded anteriorly, the concavity behind 

 reaching forward to about opposite the middle of the internal nares. 

 The slightly convex anterior branches diverge backwards regularly 

 nearly to the line of the inner nares, where the angle of divergence be- 

 comes still greater, and the line becomes nearly straight or even con- 

 cave anteriorly. 



