May, 1893.] BATRACHIANS 'OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. 225 



Family Ranidje. 

 Rana draytonii B. & G. 



Of this well-marked species, Mr. Bailey collected two adults and two 

 young ones at Monterey, the latter in a spring near the beach. The 

 specimens are in fine condition, and display the distinctive characters 

 very well. The vicissitudes of this species demonstrate beautifully 

 the disastrous results of prejudiced desires of 'lumping' species. 



List of specimens of liana draytonii. 



U.S. 

 Nat. 

 Mus. 

 No. 



Sex and 

 age. 



Locality. 



Alti- 

 tude. 



Date. 



Collector. 



Eemarks. 



18953 



ad. 



ad. 

 ,juv. 



jur. 





Feet. 

 Near 



sea 

 level. 



do 



Oct. 3 

 do 



Bailey 



do 



In spring, near 

 beach. 



Do 



18954 



do 



18955 



. do 



..do ... 



Sept. 30 

 ..do .. 



....do 



do 





18956 



...do 



. . do . . . 

















Rana aurora B. & G. 



The specimens referred to this species agree in such essential points 

 with the types of R. aurora, that I have been obliged to so name them, 

 the only other alternative being to describe them as new. It is my 

 conviction that the result of a careful study of a large uumber of speci- 

 mens from the Pacific province will result in the establishment of 

 several more species or subspecies than at present recognized, but I 

 also feel that the final settlement must be deferred until a more propi- 

 tious time for a monographic essay on the various forms which cluster 

 around R. aurora, pretiosa, and draytonii. Under these circumstances 

 1 deem it inadvisable to establish any new names, the more so since I 

 hope it will not be long before I shall be able to devote the necessary 

 time to this question. 



It is hardly necessary to add that it is out of the question to base 

 any generalizations upon the supposed geographical distribution of 

 these forms as they are defined for the present. 



The character which associates the present specimens so strongly 

 .with R. aurora is the smoothness of the skin, although very minutely 

 pitted, and the very strong pitting of the line which takes the place of 

 the dorsolateral fold in the other species. The differences consist 

 chiefly in shorter snout, fuller webbing of the toes, broader tongue, and 

 darker color. 



List of specimens of Rana aurora. 



U.S. 

 Nat. 

 Mus. 

 No. 



Sex and 

 age. 



Locality. 



Alti- 

 tude. 



Date. 



Collector. 



Eemarks. 



18917 

 18948 



ad. 

 ad. 



ad. 



Sequoia National Park, Calif 



Feet. 



7,000 

 7,000 



7,000 



Aug. 2 

 Aug. 6 



....do... 



....do 



Fisher 



Halsted Mead- 



18949 



do 



ows. 

 Do. 









12731— No. 7- 



-15 



