THE BATKACfllA OF NORTH AMEEICA. 425 



Largest of all the Nort'i American species. Body very bulky aud 

 clumsy; legs thick and sliort. Jaws nearly, if not quite, as wide as 

 the leug'th of chord of upper jaw and wider than the longitudinal 

 axis of head; muzzle subtruncate; sides oblique. Kostrils oblique, a 

 little below the edge of the can thus nostralis, half way between the 

 tip of snout and anterior canthus of eye. Tympanum large, slightly 

 oval, longer diameter somewhat oblique, equal to the diameter of the 

 eye; granulated and slightly raised for the central two-thirds; smooth 

 exteriorly. Internal uares elliptical, transverse, wider apart than are 

 the external; their centers opposite a point about one-third from the eye 

 to the outer nostril ; a shallow groove extending to the rami of the jaw. 

 Vomerine teeth in two patches, with four or five teeth in each patch ; the 

 bases of these anteriorl^^ opposite the centers of the inner nostrils, aud 

 separated from each other by the same interval as from the nares. 

 Eustachiau tubes large, nearly- opposite the centers of tympanum. 

 Tongue elongated, broadest at the stem. 



A fold of skin extends from the i)osterior canthus of the eye above 

 the tympanum, and curving round it proceeds directly downwanl to be- 

 hind the posterior extremity of the lower jaw ; it then passes around the 

 insertiou of the fore-arm (distant about half the diameter orbit) and is 

 lost on the breast. This fold is only conspicuous to the lower end of 

 the tympanum ; it is accompauied all the way by a groove on its lower 

 edge, both being scarcely traceable beyond the point above mentioned, 

 except in very well preserved specimens. There are no other folds of 

 skin ; especially none on the side of the back. The skin above is slightly 

 shagreened by moderate asperities, which increase posteriorly. Beneath 

 smooth. The posterior faces of the buttocks rugose-granulated. 



The third finger (the second from outside) is longest, then fourth, 

 first, and second. All are without any membrane or web. The tibia 

 is not quite half the length of body. The fourth toe is longest; the 

 third rather longer than the fifth ; then second aud first. All are cleft 

 (except as to membrane) nearly to the base of the metatarsals, deepest 

 along the first and fifth. The web fills up the entire interval, extend- 

 ing from tip to tip of the toes; the outlines nearly straight when out- 

 stretched. 



The color above is olivaceous-brown, with darker blotches about half 

 the diameter of the eye distributed pretty uniformly; occasionally 

 in contact and confluent; the outlines obsolete or not clearly marked. 

 The buttocks are similarly marked, with the blotches nearly black. The 

 joints of the fore leg have each one or two bars or blotches; tliese are 

 more distinctly transverse on the hind legs, where there are three or 

 four on each joint. Membrane of hind foot finely mottled. The lower 

 parts, including groin, are silvery white, with similar coarse blotches 

 or mattlings of obscolescent brown, though not quite so much crowded 

 as above; this pattern pervades the whole inferior and interior faces of 

 body and limbs, leaving no portion unmarked. The tympanum is rather 

 darkest in the center. 



