AMPHIBIA. 243 



never have learned of their existence had it not been for the aid given me by an 

 intelligent young Cuban, Sr. Lucio Alfonso. In response to my inquiry regarding 

 the occurrence of the "Sapo de Concha," he took me to an upland clayey pasture 

 near by, which had recently been burned over. Scattered thickly over this 

 whole area were the mouths of a great number of small burrows. These were 

 evidently of two sorts, for the openings of some were carefully rimmed with 

 smoothly patted clay, while the others were rough and looked unfinished. Those 

 with the rims each contained a Bufo empusus. The tube-like burrow was per- 

 fectly cylindrical and from seven to ten inches deep. The toad which always 

 looked larger than the diameter of the burrow, was to be found in a small chamber 

 at the bottom, its curious hornlike, shelly, head forming an operculum which 

 closed the burrow accurately. To accomplish this closing most advantageously, 

 the toad was sometimes found resting on its side or back. The small individuals 

 were frequently observed near the surface, their little heads just filling the 

 mouth of the tubes. Only one or two adults were observed near the surface. 

 The other burrows spoken of were inhabited by Tarantulas, which were 

 excessively common. 



Gundlach says, and he is confirmed by what the country folk told me, that 

 these toads come forth to sing in unison on warm nights after a rain. There is 

 no apparent rule to guide their appearance and they are not heard during many 

 apparently favorable nights. The people told me that they had never met them 

 outside their burrows, probably because they had not visited this particular 

 field by night. From what I have heard, I am sure this species always occurs 

 in these colonies in areas where the soil is suitable for making their burrows. 



Eleutherodactylus ricordii (Dumeril et Bibhon). 

 Dumeril et Bibron, Erpet. g<5n., 1841, 8, p. 623. Boulenger, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit, mus., 1882, p. 213. 



A common species throughout Cuba and the northern Bahama Islands. 

 It has been taken in Florida, and seems to be spreading northward (Barbour, 

 Proc. Biol. soc. Wash., 1910, 23, p. 100). 



In 1887 Cope admitted that his Hylodes planirostris was synonymous 

 with this species (Proc. IT. S. nat. mus., 1887, 11, p. 406). There seems, how- 

 ever, to be a tendency for Cuban examples to have a shorter fourth toe than 

 Bahaman individuals. This difference does not appear to be an invariably 

 constant character. 



