﻿206 
  PELOBATIDiS. 
  

  

  Head 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  fuscus, 
  but 
  rather 
  larger 
  in 
  propor- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  not 
  humped 
  on 
  the 
  occiput 
  nor 
  behind 
  the 
  

   eyes, 
  the 
  skull 
  forming 
  a 
  complete, 
  evenly 
  curved 
  

   rugose 
  casque 
  entirely 
  surrounding 
  the 
  orbits 
  ; 
  inter- 
  

   orbital 
  space 
  nearly 
  flat, 
  usually 
  much 
  broader 
  than 
  

   the 
  distance 
  between 
  the 
  nostrils. 
  

  

  Shape 
  and 
  proportions 
  of 
  the 
  limbs 
  much 
  as 
  in 
  

   P. 
  fuscus, 
  but 
  digits 
  more 
  obtuse, 
  and 
  metatarsal 
  

   shovel 
  sharper 
  and 
  larger, 
  always 
  exceeding 
  the 
  

   lenofth 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  toe. 
  

  

  Skin 
  smooth 
  or 
  densely 
  covered 
  above 
  with 
  very 
  

   small 
  round 
  warts. 
  

  

  Yellowish, 
  whitish, 
  or 
  greenish-yellow 
  above, 
  

   speckled, 
  spotted 
  or 
  marbled 
  with 
  brown, 
  olive, 
  or 
  

   greyish- 
  olive, 
  the 
  spots 
  small 
  or 
  large, 
  and 
  but 
  rarely 
  

   confluent 
  into 
  longitudinal 
  bands. 
  A 
  small 
  male 
  

   specimen, 
  collected 
  by 
  M. 
  Lataste 
  at 
  Greilhan, 
  

   ^Gironde, 
  has 
  four 
  perfectly 
  regular 
  dark 
  dorsal 
  

   stripes, 
  the 
  median 
  pair 
  extending 
  forwards 
  to 
  the 
  

   interorbital 
  region, 
  where 
  they 
  meet 
  a 
  dark 
  cross-bar. 
  

   White 
  beneath, 
  uniform 
  or 
  speckled 
  with 
  greyish- 
  

   olive 
  ; 
  metatarsal 
  spur 
  black 
  ; 
  toes 
  often 
  tipped 
  with 
  

   a 
  black 
  horny 
  layer. 
  Iris 
  silvery 
  or 
  greenish-grey, 
  

   vermiculate 
  with 
  black. 
  

  

  External 
  male 
  sexual 
  characters 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  fuscus. 
  

  

  In 
  describing 
  Pelohates 
  syriacus, 
  Boettger 
  (' 
  Zool. 
  

   Anz.,' 
  1889, 
  ISTo. 
  302) 
  mentions 
  breeding 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   Pelohates 
  cultrijjes 
  to 
  be 
  possessed 
  of 
  nuptial 
  asperities 
  

   on 
  the 
  inner 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  inner 
  fingers 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   tips 
  of 
  the 
  toes. 
  This 
  extraordinary 
  statement 
  is 
  based 
  

   on 
  a 
  confusion 
  with 
  the 
  American 
  Scajpliiojpus 
  ham- 
  

   monclii, 
  Baird 
  (dugesii, 
  Brocchi), 
  breeding 
  males 
  of 
  

   which 
  were 
  erroneously 
  labelled 
  * 
  Pelohates 
  cultripes, 
  

   Spain,' 
  in 
  the 
  Senckenberg 
  Museum. 
  The 
  so-called 
  

   nuptial 
  asperities 
  of 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  toes 
  are 
  nothing 
  

   but 
  the 
  blackish 
  horny 
  sheaths 
  which 
  cap 
  them, 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  the 
  tarsal 
  spur, 
  at 
  all 
  seasons. 
  I 
  am 
  indebted 
  

   to 
  the 
  kindness 
  of 
  Prof. 
  Boettger 
  for 
  an 
  opportunity 
  

   of 
  examining 
  these 
  specimens. 
  

  

  