﻿BOMBINATOR. 
  141 
  

  

  2. 
  BOMBINATOE. 
  

   Merrem, 
  Tent. 
  Syst. 
  Amph., 
  p. 
  178 
  (1820), 
  partim. 
  

  

  Pupil 
  roundish, 
  triangular, 
  or 
  corcliform. 
  Vomerine 
  

   teetli 
  in 
  two 
  short 
  transverse 
  groups 
  behind 
  the 
  

   choanae. 
  Tongue 
  circular, 
  entire, 
  adherent. 
  No 
  

   tympanum. 
  Fingers 
  free, 
  toes 
  webbed 
  ; 
  outer 
  meta- 
  

   tarsals 
  separated 
  by 
  web. 
  ISTo 
  palatine 
  bones. 
  Dia- 
  

   pophyses 
  of 
  sacral 
  vertebra 
  very 
  strongly 
  dilated. 
  

   Urostyle 
  articulated 
  to 
  a 
  single 
  condyle. 
  

  

  This 
  genus 
  includes 
  three 
  closely 
  allied 
  species. 
  

   Two 
  are 
  European 
  ; 
  the 
  third, 
  Bombinator 
  orientaUs, 
  

   Blgr., 
  inhabits 
  North-eastern 
  Asia, 
  from 
  Manchuria 
  to 
  

   Northern 
  China. 
  

  

  Apart 
  from 
  the 
  coloration, 
  the 
  two 
  European 
  

   species 
  are 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  

   tibia 
  or 
  crus, 
  which 
  is 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  foot, 
  measured 
  

   from 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  metatarsal 
  tubercle, 
  in 
  

   B. 
  igneus, 
  and 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  foot 
  or 
  even 
  a 
  little 
  

   longer 
  in 
  B. 
  j^cichypus. 
  Males 
  are 
  besides 
  distinguished 
  

   by 
  the 
  presence 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  and 
  the 
  absence 
  in 
  the 
  

   latter 
  of 
  internal 
  vocal 
  sacs 
  ; 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  

   season 
  the 
  third 
  finger 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  toes 
  

   are 
  provided 
  with 
  plates 
  of 
  black 
  horny 
  asperities 
  in 
  

   B.pachypus, 
  which 
  are 
  never 
  present 
  on 
  those 
  parts 
  in 
  

   B. 
  igneus, 
  , 
  

  

  Although 
  nearly 
  allied, 
  and 
  actually 
  known 
  to 
  pro- 
  

   duce 
  fertile 
  hybrids,* 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  specific 
  distinction 
  

   of 
  the 
  two 
  European 
  forms, 
  so 
  long 
  confounded 
  

   under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  B. 
  igneus, 
  is 
  now 
  established 
  beyond 
  

   contest. 
  

  

  * 
  That 
  this 
  affords 
  no 
  absolute 
  criterion 
  in 
  matters 
  of 
  specific 
  dis- 
  

   tinctions 
  is 
  shown, 
  among 
  Batrachians, 
  by 
  the 
  two 
  newts, 
  MoZgre 
  cristata 
  

   and 
  M. 
  Tnarmorata, 
  producing 
  the 
  hybrid 
  known 
  as 
  M. 
  hiasii, 
  which 
  

   proves 
  to 
  be 
  fertile 
  for 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  generations 
  at 
  least. 
  

  

  