﻿192 
  pelobatidje. 
  

  

  5. 
  Pelobates. 
  

  

  Wagler, 
  Syst. 
  Ampli., 
  p. 
  206 
  (1830). 
  

  

  Pupil 
  vertical. 
  Yomerine 
  teeth 
  in 
  short 
  transverse 
  

   series 
  between 
  the 
  choanse. 
  Tongue 
  circular, 
  entire 
  

   or 
  slightly 
  nicked, 
  and 
  free 
  behind. 
  Tympanum 
  

   absent. 
  Fingers 
  free, 
  toes 
  webbed 
  ; 
  outer 
  metatarsals 
  

   separated 
  by 
  web. 
  Inner 
  metatarsal 
  tubercle 
  shovel- 
  

   shaped. 
  Yertebrse 
  procoelous 
  ; 
  diapophyses 
  of 
  sacral 
  

   vertebra 
  very 
  strongly 
  dilated 
  ; 
  urostyle 
  usually 
  fused 
  

   with 
  sacrum. 
  Omosternum 
  cartilaginous; 
  sternum 
  

   with 
  a 
  bony 
  style. 
  

  

  Three 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  essentially 
  fossorial 
  genus 
  

   are 
  known 
  : 
  two 
  from 
  Europe, 
  and 
  one, 
  P. 
  syriacus, 
  

   Boettger, 
  from 
  Asia 
  Minor 
  and 
  Syria. 
  

  

  The 
  European 
  species 
  are 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  from 
  

   each 
  other. 
  In 
  P. 
  fuscus 
  the 
  occiput 
  is 
  humped, 
  the 
  

   orbit 
  is 
  not 
  completely 
  closed 
  by 
  bone 
  behind, 
  and 
  the 
  

   metatarsal 
  spur 
  or 
  shovel 
  is 
  yellowish 
  or 
  pale 
  brown. 
  

   In 
  P. 
  cultrijjes 
  the 
  occiput 
  is 
  plane 
  or 
  gently 
  arched, 
  

   the 
  cranial 
  roof 
  completely 
  surrounds 
  the 
  orbit, 
  and 
  

   the 
  metatarsal 
  spur 
  is 
  black. 
  

  

  P. 
  syriacus 
  agrees 
  with 
  P. 
  ciiltripes 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   the 
  head 
  and 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  skull, 
  with 
  P. 
  fuscus 
  

   in 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  spur. 
  

  

  The 
  genus 
  Didocus, 
  Cope 
  (type 
  Rana 
  calcarata, 
  

   Michahelles), 
  is 
  founded 
  on 
  a 
  young 
  Pelobates 
  ctdtripes, 
  

   and 
  is 
  therefore 
  a 
  synonym 
  of 
  Pelobates, 
  as 
  pointed 
  

   out 
  further 
  on 
  in 
  a 
  foot-note. 
  The 
  adult 
  Pelobates 
  

   cultriioes 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  raised 
  to 
  generic 
  rank 
  by 
  the 
  

   same 
  author, 
  but 
  quite 
  unnecessarily 
  in 
  my 
  opinion, 
  

   the 
  only 
  distinctive 
  feature 
  being 
  the 
  greater 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  cranial 
  roof 
  — 
  a 
  mere 
  difference 
  of 
  degree, 
  

   the 
  importance 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  outweighed 
  by 
  the 
  close 
  

   resemblance 
  which 
  this 
  species 
  bears 
  in 
  all 
  other 
  re- 
  

   spects 
  to 
  its 
  ally 
  P. 
  fuscus. 
  

  

  