Ifi2 DISCOGLOSSID^E. 



3. Alytks. 



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



Pupil vertical. Vomerine teetli in transverse or 

 slightly oblique series behind the choanse. Tongue 

 circular, entire, slightly free behind. Tympanum 

 distinct. Fingers free, toes webbed ; outer meta- 

 tarsals separated by web. Diapophyses of sacral 

 vertebra strongly dilated. Urostyle articulated to 

 two condyles. 



Two species, both of which inhabit Europe. The 

 presence of three palmar tubercles in A. ohstetiican..^, 

 and of two in A. cisternasii, and the short swollen 

 outer finger in the latter easily distinguishes them, in 

 addition to several other characters, external and 

 osteological. 



The characters in which the latter species differs 

 from the former are adaptations to more burrowing 

 habits, and of too slight importance, in my opinion, to 

 justify the genus Ammori/ctis, proposed by Lataste in 

 1879 for the then newly discovered Alijfes cisternasii, 

 which has since proved to be endowed with the same 

 extraordinary nursing habits as its long known and 

 famous congener. It may be added, as a further 

 argument against generic distinction, that the tad- 

 poles of the two species resemble each other so closely 

 as to be almost iu distinguishable before the limbs 

 have made their appearance ; this being the only 

 instance that I know among Batrachians of well- 

 marked species not being differentiated in their larval 

 condition. The contrary would, however, in my 

 opinion, be no valid objection to generic association, 

 for reasons explained in the Introduction, p. 110. 



