APPENDIX F. REPTILES. 213 



BATRACHIANS. 



Of this order of reptiles only two species were procured — a toad and 

 a frog. 



1. Bufo cogstatus, Say. 



Zoology, PI. XI. 



Spec. char. — Greenish brown above, with a lighter yellowish dorsal 

 line. Patches of blackish-brown scattered over the sides and legs. 

 Beneath unicolor of a dingy yellow. Head short, groove on its upper 

 surface, not extending to the anterior rim of the eye. 



Syn. — Bufo cognatus, Say, in Long's Exp. to Rock. Mts. II, 1823, 

 190. 



Obs. — It is not without hesitation that we have referred the' present 

 species to Bufo cognatus ; the description of Say as cited is exceedingly 

 brief, applying almost equally well to several allied species. The colors 

 of our specimen vary considerably from the B. cognatus as described by 

 Say ; but the characters of the groove of the crown agree better. The 

 mark of "head with a groove which hardly extends anteriorly to th3 

 line of the anterior canthus of the eye," although not strictly in accord- 

 ance with our species, may, with some allowance, be made to answer to 

 it. It is much to be regretted that the original specimen of Say was 

 destroyed in the conflagration of the Philadelphia Museum, and thua-all 

 hopes of identification are lost. If, however, further explorations in 

 Arkansas should yield many additional specimens, all differing as much 

 as the present from Say's description, it will become necessary to assign 

 a new name to it, especially if the true B. cognatus be at the same time 

 detected. 



Description. — The head is very short, the snout obtuse and truncate, 

 with the nostrils subterminal. Upper surface of head grooved ; groove 

 subelliptical and short, not extending anteriorly to the anterior rim 

 of the eye (fig. 2.) The superciliary ridges thicken from before back- 

 wards, extending to the tympanum in passing obliquely behind the 

 eyes, and in contact also with the parotid glands, which are subovoidal 

 and of medium size. Tympanum rather small, subelliptical ; its longest 

 diameter almost vertical. The fore and hind legs are well proportioned 

 to the size of the body. The under surface of the hand is provided 

 with small crowded tubercles, a more conspicuous and a larger one at 

 the articulations of the fingers ; the fingers themselves are depressed or 



