242 ANURA 



h. Xeotropical. 



Metasteriium small, cartilaginous or memljranous. 

 With discs. 



1. With a pair of dermal scales on the discs. 



Omosternum with a bony style. 

 Tongue heart-shaped. 



Ecuador, 2 species . Hylixalus. 

 Toea free. 5 species . Phyllobates, p. 242. 

 Tongue entire. Ecuador 

 and Colombia, 3 

 species . . . Prostherapis. 



Omosternum cartilaginous. 



Ecuador . . Fhyllodromus pulchellus. 



2. Discs without scales. Omo- 



sternum absent. 



Colombia . . . Colosthetus latinasus. 



Phyllobates} — This is one of the few Neotropical genera, and 

 like nearly all of these has peculiar adhesive discs on the fingers 

 and toes, each disc bearing on its upper surface two dermal 

 scales. The tympanum is distinct. Vomerine teeth are absent. 

 The general appearance of the five species is that of tree-frogs^ 

 One species, Ph. hicolor, yellowish above, dark brown beneath, lives 

 in Cuba. The others inhabit Central America and Venezuela. 

 They seem to have peculiar nursing habits. Ph. trinitatis of 

 Venezuela and Trinidad carries its tadpoles on its back, on to 

 which the young fix themselves by means of their suckers. 

 Nothing is known about their breeding habits, for instance whether 

 the young are hatched on the back, or, as seems more likely, 

 if .the parents (the specimen described by Boulenger ^ is a male) 

 only give their offspring a temporary lift in order to convey 

 them from a drying-up pool to a healthier place. It is remark- 

 able that several species of Dendrobatinae, which inhabit the 

 same countries, have precisely the same habits.^ 



Arthroleptis. — Slender and long-limbed little frogs, about 

 one inch in length. The fingers and toes are free, very slender, 

 and end in slightly dilated tips, the supporting phalanges being 

 simple. The tympanum is variable. The skin is smooth or 

 finely granulated. The colours are inconspicuous, brown or grey 

 tones usually prevailing. About ten species are known, mostly 



^ Boulenger lias shown {P.Z.S. 1888) that Bibron's species of Phyllobates, 

 hitherto grouped amongst the Cystignathidae, are Ranoids, closely allied to 

 Hyli'jMlus and Prostherapis. The other species now form the Cystignathoid 

 genus Syrrhopus, Cope (cf. p. 212). ^ P.Z.S. 1S9.5, p. 209. = Cf. p. 273. 



