THE BATRACIIIA OF NORTH AMERICA. 259 



Otber cliaracters are: superior plate of the etluiioid completely ossi- 

 fied; very rarely prolonged anteriorly; usually covered by the com- 

 pletely ossified frontoparietals, or by these and the prefoutals together. 

 Ko pterygoideum. Tongue free, not retractile posteriorly. 



In Otilophus and Phrynoidis* there are but eight vertebrae, the atlas 

 and second beingconfluent. In Nectes there are resemblances to the As- 

 terophrydida3. The prefoutals are narrow, divergent, in contact only 

 anteriorly ; the superior plate of the ethmoid is small, tranverse, not 

 entirely covered by the frontoparietals, which are but weakly ossified 

 medially, although embracing no fontanelle. In the other genera the 

 prefoutals are in contact with each other and with the fronto-parietals 

 throughout. 



In none of the genera 7moi(?n to belong to the family is there a manu- 

 brium sterni. The xiphis tern um is a slender weak cartilage in Pseudo- 

 phryne and Phryniscus and Bufo Icelaartii. In the other species the style 

 supporting the terminal disk is stronger, sometimes fibro cartilaginous: 

 m Bufo vulgaris and B. melanostictus it is broader and nearly bony, and 

 in Nectes subasper stvongest and broadest. 



In Bufo lielaartU the terminal phalanges have a slight terminal trans- 

 verse extension. 



Myobatrachus, Kotaden, and Pseudophryne the weakest and least 

 developed forms, are Australian; Eupemphix, Phrynoidis, Bufo, Pelta- 

 phryne, Otaspis, Oilotis, Crepidophryne, Cranophrynoand Ehinophryne 

 are Neotropical j Bufo and Nectopliryne, Ethiopian; P»ufo, ITearctic; 

 Bufo and Epidalea, Palsearctic; and Scutiger, Bufo, Nectes, and Necto- 

 phryne, Palseotropical. 



The characters are the following: 



I. Terminal pbalauges-'simple. 



A. Two condyles for the iirostyle. 



B. Tongue boimd in front, free behind. 



*A frontoparietal fontanelle. 



Ethmoid bone incomplete above ; sternum ossified on the middle 

 line ; ear perfectly developed ; pupil erect. 



Myohatrachus Schl. 

 Ethmoid bone complete ; fingers and toes free ; sternum a weak 



cartilage Pseudophryne Fitz. 



Ethmoid bone complete ; toes webbed , ■sternum distinct. 



Epidalea Cope. 

 *''No frontoparietal fontanelle. 

 a. No vomerine teeth. 

 /3. Tympanic chamber present. 



Toes free; tympanic drum not inclosed; sternum cu osseous 

 style Eupemphix Steiud. 



*The raised orbital ridges of this genus do not constitute its essential character, as 

 formerly supposed, but rather the division of the neural spines and the wide separa- 

 tion of the lateral portions (they stand above the zygapophyses) throughout the ver- 

 tebral column. Perhaps the fusion of tbe atlas with the second vertebra is important 

 in the same connection. There is but one species at present known, P. aspcr. 



