84 ENGYSTOMACAROLINENSE. 



brown above and yellowish-brown beneath; the fingers are five in number, short, 

 and distinct. The posterior extremities are short and thick, chestnut-brown above, 

 with a few dark spots; the toes are five in number, short, and not palmated. 



Dimensions. Length of body, 1 inch; of thighs, f of an inch; of leg, | of an 

 inch; of tarsus and toes, | of an inch. 



Geographical Distribution. Hitherto this animal has never been found north 

 of Charleston; its range extending westward to the Lower Mississippi, where it 

 has been observed by Le Sueur. 



Habits. This animal passes most of its days in concealment, near old fences, 

 or under the bark of fallen and decaying trees, emerging only towards evening and 

 after heavy rains. They are frequently seen with myriads of the young of the 

 Bufo clamosus, apparently washed from their places of concealment by summer 

 showers. It makes a feeble chirp at night, and at times when captured; and being 

 but a clumsy swimmer, if thrown into water it repeats this chirp frequently in its 

 endeavours to escape. 



General Remarks. This is the only species hitherto observed in the United 

 States, and must not be confounded with those of South America. The E. Suri- 

 namense is nearly twice the size of our animal, is uniformly dusky on the back, 

 and has a white line along the posterior surface of the thigh, and a white spot at 

 the axils. Our species differs in the comparatively greater size of the head and 

 mouth, as well as in the markings. It is possible that Bosc* referred to this animal 

 when he says he observed in Carolina a "crapaud bossu, ou une grenouille" living 

 under the bark of dead trees, though he describes its skin as so excessively delicate 

 as to prevent his preserving it alive even for a short distance, in order to make a 

 drawing of it. Now, though the skin of our animal is delicate, I have kept them 

 alive for several months, and even sent them from Charleston to Philadelphia, 

 where they not only arrived in safety, but lived a considerable time. 



*Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat, torn. vi. p. 489. 



