﻿174 
  DISCOGLOSSID^. 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  limbs, 
  its 
  anterior 
  extremity 
  

   bent 
  downwards 
  and 
  forwards. 
  This 
  specimen 
  is 
  

   figured 
  above 
  (p. 
  104, 
  Fig. 
  46, 
  c). 
  

  

  Lead-grey 
  to 
  blackish 
  above, 
  uniform 
  or 
  with 
  round 
  

   blackish 
  spots 
  ; 
  sides 
  with 
  large 
  silvery 
  or 
  pale 
  golden 
  

   spots 
  ; 
  tail 
  with 
  numerous 
  dark 
  brown 
  dots 
  or 
  round 
  

   black 
  spots, 
  which 
  are 
  very 
  apparent 
  on 
  the 
  greyish- 
  

   white 
  crests. 
  Nearly 
  black 
  tadpoles 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  albinos 
  

   are 
  on 
  record. 
  

  

  Total 
  length 
  80 
  mm.; 
  body, 
  28; 
  width 
  of 
  body, 
  

   21; 
  tail, 
  52; 
  depth 
  of 
  tail, 
  19. 
  Exceptionally 
  grows 
  

   to 
  90 
  mm. 
  

  

  Habitat. 
  — 
  The 
  midwife 
  toad 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  France 
  

   nearly 
  everywhere 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  Belgium 
  (pro- 
  

   vinces 
  Namur, 
  Liege, 
  and 
  Luxemburg), 
  South-eastern 
  

   Holland 
  (Limburg), 
  Luxemburg, 
  Switzerland, 
  Vorarl- 
  

   berg, 
  in 
  Germany 
  along 
  the 
  Rhine, 
  and 
  locally 
  in 
  hilly 
  

   districts 
  as 
  far 
  east 
  as 
  Brunswick 
  and 
  Thuriugia 
  

   (Hameln 
  on 
  the 
  Weser 
  being 
  the 
  northerumost, 
  Nord- 
  

   hausen 
  and 
  Eisenach 
  the 
  easternmost 
  points 
  of 
  its 
  

   ascertained 
  distribution), 
  and 
  all 
  over 
  Spain 
  and 
  

   Portugal. 
  It 
  ascends 
  to 
  5000 
  feet 
  in 
  the 
  Alps 
  of 
  

   Switzerland, 
  and 
  to 
  6500 
  feet 
  in 
  the 
  Pyrenees 
  (Lac 
  

   Bleu, 
  Hautes-Pyrenees), 
  where 
  the 
  snow 
  is 
  not 
  

   absent 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  months. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  by 
  Knauthe 
  near 
  

   Schlaupitz, 
  in 
  Silesia, 
  some 
  years 
  ago, 
  and 
  appear 
  

   to 
  have 
  established 
  themselves 
  there. 
  The 
  species 
  is 
  

   stated 
  to 
  occur 
  in 
  Bukowina, 
  whence 
  it 
  was 
  described 
  

   by 
  Zawadski 
  in 
  1840. 
  It 
  would 
  be 
  highly 
  interesting 
  

   to 
  ascertain 
  whether 
  it 
  does 
  really 
  extend 
  so 
  far 
  to 
  the 
  

   east; 
  for 
  the 
  present 
  the 
  statement 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  

   accepted 
  with 
  caution. 
  

  

  In 
  France 
  the 
  midwife 
  toad 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  plains 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  mountains 
  ; 
  common 
  at 
  Biarritz, 
  close 
  

   to 
  the 
  sea, 
  it 
  extends 
  high 
  up 
  the 
  Pyrenees. 
  I 
  have 
  

   also 
  found 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Normandy, 
  and, 
  as 
  Prof. 
  

   Bavay 
  informs 
  me, 
  it 
  occurs 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Finistere. 
  

   East 
  of 
  the 
  Rhine, 
  however, 
  its 
  habitat, 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  

  

  