ALIPIO DE MIRANDA-RIBEIRO 
Observalions on some evolutionary phases of “ ceratophrys and stombus ” 
TRANSLATED 
BY 
EDWARD MAY 
CERATOPHRYS DORSATA, Wied 
On the 12 th. November, my son Victor brought me a tadpole which 
he thought to be of above, or big horned-frog as, on taking same, he saw 
it swallow a good deal of air. The animalcule is of very notable aspect, 
resembling a small globefish — Tetrodon, — a resemblançe intensified by 
à yellow stain visible on the middle of the upper lip. Its most distin- 
ctive characteristic, however, appears in the row of short tentacles which 
surrounds the mouth in its whole extension. 
Seen from above, the tadpole which measures 64 millimetres (figs. 
1,2 & 3 — the body measuring 1/2 the length of tail), has the ordi- 
nary appearence of a frogs (Rana palmipes Spix) tadpole, with that la- 
bial fringe added and the yellow patch mimicking the globe fishe's 
tooth. The colouring is diffuse green in the center changing to a rubescent 
bronze on the sides and cheeks, yellowish on the flanks. As the feet are 
already in evidence, though still rudimentary, the stage of evolution is 
already advanced. A segmented granulous zone is observed on each of the 
sides of the dorso Ilumbar region, where one percieves clearly, through 
the skin, the pulmonary alveoles full of air — The tail is of indefinite 
colouring in the muscular region proper, where one sees green and ro- 
seate bronze, alternated with lighter coloured patches inferiorly ; the natatory 
membrane is transparent yellow with green streaks. The nares allow 
seeing a flesh coloured recess and the eyes, strongly bronze pigmented 
and covered externally with black chromatophores. The lateral line is 
very thin; but, even: so, allows its trajectory surrounding the head with 
two anterior branches to be seen; and taking the direction of the tail in 
an other branch which starts from the upper branchial region and runs 
along the pulmonary zone. 
5231; a 
