394 



histrionica Berthold (1846, Nach. Gottingen, p. 15, pi. 1, fig. 8) 

 from Popayan, Colombia may preoccupy auratus. 



To pumilio belongs ignitus Cope (1874, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Philadelphia, p. 68) from Nicaragua the type of which is not 

 in existence. 



Much confusion exists concerning the Central American 

 species or races of Atelopus (type A. ftavescens from Cayenne). 

 I have seen many or most of the types, and the original descrip- 

 tions of all. I have also seen a good many modern specimens 

 from the region, and am sure of at least one race as yet unnamed. 

 I therefore proceed to name this race, and to give an analysis of 

 the situation which will, I trust, clear up some of the confusion. 



Stannius (1856, Handb. Zool. 2, p. 16) mentions an Atelopus 

 varius seen in the Berlin Museum as exhibiting some vertebral 

 fusion. The name is quite unidentifiable and is a nomen nudum 

 pure and simple. 



In the privately pubhshed and distributed Nomenclator Rept. 

 Amph. Mus. Berol. of 1856, signed by Lichtenstein and compiled 

 by Lichtenstein and Martens we find on page 40 Phyrnidium, 

 gen. nov., type varium sp. nov. followed on page 40 by var. a 

 maculatum, var. b adspersum, and var. c crucigerum. The 

 specimens, 13 in number, were all from 'Veragoa.' One of the 

 varieties is obviously a synonym of the typical form. Since 

 crucigerum has been used otherwise, and since the description 

 of adspersum conforms to what Keferstein in 1867 (Nach. Got- 

 tingen, p. 350) described as Atelopus varius from Costa Rica and 

 which has always gone by that name, and since the types of 

 adspersum (Berlin no. 3377-8 from Veragua) also agree with 

 Costa Rican specimens, the name adspersum may be taken as 

 a synonym of the typical form, as is Hylaemorphus Pluto Schmidt 

 1858 {Denkschr. Ak. Wien, p. 255) from Costa Rica. 



True Atelopus varius varius is a small form (40 mm.), black 

 (sometimes bluish gray) above, much marked with red and 

 yellow above. I have taken numbers of them near San Jose, 

 Costa Rica, and have seen many specimens from upper Costa 

 Rica. There are no specimens from Panama except the types of 

 adspersum and Berlin 3380. There were four in the original 

 series of adspersum. 



The type of maculatum is a larger form with fewer and larger 



