816 BULLETIN 84, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



LITHODYTES LATRANS Cope. 



(Plates 51, fig. 15; 71, fig. 22.) 

 Amer. Nat., 1878, p. 186; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus, No. 17, 1830, p. 25. 



Size ratber large ; froutoparietal region flat, its width equal to the 

 vertical diaaieter of the membraniim ty mpani. Skin smooth, that of the 

 abdomen thrown into a disk by a circular fold. Digital dilitatious small 

 on all the feet. The toes have no dermal free margins; those of tlie 

 hand are long, while those of the foot are rather short. Tlie fourth 

 finger is as large as the forearm and exceeds the thumb, whicli in turn 

 is considerably lou'ger than the second finger. There are two strong 

 palmar tubercles, of which the external is divided into two by a longi- 

 tudinal groove. There are two solar tubercles, and the entocuneiform 

 is prominent and obtuse. The muzzle marks a point beyond the mid- 

 dle of the tarsus of the extended hind limb. The tarsus to the e.ito- 

 cuneiform is just half as long as the remainder of the foot. There are 

 prominent tubercles on the inferior side of the digits of both extrem- 

 ities. The head is wide and flat and the loreal region oblique. The 

 nasal region is flat and gently decurved and the lip projects a little beyond 

 the muzzle. The long diameter of the eye equals the length from its 

 border to the external nostril, which is ver3^ near the end of the muzzle, 

 and exceeds the long or vertical diameter of the membranum tympani by 

 one-half of the latter. The width of the tympanic membrane is five- 

 sixths of its height. The tongue is subround. The ostia pharyngea are 

 large, but smaller than the choanoe. The vomerine teeth are in two 

 short, nearly transverse patches, on elevated bases, their apices nearly 

 in line with the posterior border of the choanie. In younger individ- 

 uals the choanie are obliquely longitudinal. 



Length of head and body, .07G'"; length of head to line of posterior 

 borders of tympanum, asially .024"' ; width at latter point, .031™ ; length 

 of posterior leg, .107™. 



Color of superior surfaces brownish-gray, marked with a few large 

 brown spots with pale centers. The largest of these is on each scapular 

 region; a smaller pair.is one over the extremity of each sacral trans- 

 verse process. There are several on the pelvic region and above the 

 groin, one on each eyelid, and one or two on the middle of the nasal 

 region. Another covers the tympanum, and a brown band connects 

 the orbits around the end of the muzzle. There are two large brown 

 spots on the lip, one below the eye and one in front of it. The seg- 

 ments of the limbs have broad cross-bands, excepting the humerus. 

 Below pale, immaculate. 



This species is one of the larger forms of the genus. The nasal bones 

 are in contact for most of their length, but diverge a little posteriorly, 

 displaying a small portion of the ethmoid. This is not typical in 

 Lithodytes, but approaches the state of things in Epirhexis. 



This frog inhabits the clifls of the cretaceous limestone which are 



