394 



BULLETIN 34, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



which includes but sixteeu species. lu the Old World the genus Rana 

 occurs everywhere excepting in the Australian realm, with the excep- 

 tion of a single species in north Australia, and two in New Guinea. 

 The Bmia papua Less, is found in New Guinea and on the northern 

 peninsula (Cape York) of Australia. Otherwise the batrachian fauna 

 of Australia is arciferous. Its absence from South America is absolute, 

 and the only genus which is nearly related to it, Eanula Pet., has but 

 four species. 



The relations of the prefrontal and ethmoid bones are very various in 

 this genus, furnishing us with illustrations of most of the types found 

 throughout the order, which are usually characteristic of higher groups. 

 The names of the faunae in the accomi^anyiug table refer to the species 

 ot Ranidse as given in the second column. 



A coincidence between the condition of these prefrontal bones and 

 the regions inhabited by the species is evident, as well as a certaiu suc- 

 cession in the latter : Neotropical first, Palseotropical last. 



Kanidae, Group IV. 



Geographical distribu- 

 tion. 



Other groups. 



A 



Prefrontals lying along 

 cauthus rostralis, 

 separated by etlimoid 

 throughout. 



a. Ethmoid cartilaginous. 

 aa. Ethmoid projecting a 

 short distance beyond 

 I'routoparietala. 



laa. Ethmoid produced far 

 between prefrontals. 



Prefrontals subtriangular, 

 not united by suture 

 medially, or' in con- 

 tact with frontoparie- 

 tal. 



Prefontals more or less 

 united by suture medi- 

 ally, not touching 

 frontoparietals. 



Prefrontal united by su- 

 ture, and moT-c or less 

 completely in contact 

 with frontoparietals. 



Ranula 



Bana oxyrhyncha 



li. mascariennis 









Souih Ethiopian 







Heteroglossa iMcata . . . 

 S. g. Hylarana (young) 



Palaiotropical 







do 







do 





( 



Ranafasciata 



S. g. Hylarana, in gen. 



South Ethiopian 



PaliBotropical 



EngystomidcB, Gr. II. 

 Hylidce (most). 

 Cystignathidce, Gr. 11. 

 Dentrohatidce. 

 Ceratophrys. 

 Xenophrys. 



Cystignathus. 





do 



B. 



Rana temporaria 



B. esculenta 



M. vireseens 



Palasotropical and Ne- 

 arctic. 



PalEearctic 



Nearctic 



...do 



C. 



R. catesbiana 



R. eyano2}hlyctis, jun . . 

 Heteroglossa natalen- 



sis. 

 Ranafuscigula 



do 



Paleeotropical Alpine. 

 South Ethiopian 



... do 



Scylopis. 



D. 



Heteroglossa africana . 

 Rana occipitalis 



Ethiopian 



do 



Engystomldce, Gr. I. 

 Biifonidce. 



Cystignathidce, Gr. I 

 and IV. 





R. tigrina . 







do '. 







do 







do 









do 







R. ehrenbergii 



do 







do 













The North American Eanae belong apparently to thirteen species. 

 Three of these present us with six subspecies additional to their typ- 

 ical forms, whose distinctive characters approach those of species. Two 

 of the species of the West Coast are not distinguishable, excepting as 

 subspecies, from two of the Palsearctic realm, which range from Eu- 



