KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 52. N:o 4. 17 
also, as shown by this specimen, in the interior of North West Australia. It is a 
good burrower, and thus a typical inland form able to survive the drought even in 
the interior of Australia. The specimen differs from the discriptions as' well as from 
a specimen from Victoria, kept in the R. Museum of Nat. History, by the absence 
of the light median band and of the horny sheath on the metatarsal tubercle. The 
developement of the vertebral band varies usually very much in the frogs, and its absence 
or presence is of no importance; the absence of the horny sheath might have some 
more value as distinguishing characteristic, but it may, of course, happen that it 
may be lost and again regenerated. Thus, according to my opinon, even this dif- 
ference can be considered as an individual one. SPENCER'S statement in the Horn 
Expedition that the metatarsal tubercle is black in »typical specimens» appears also 
to indicate that he has found not typical specimens without any horny black sheath. 
The only difference between this species and Heleioporus albopunctatus GRAY 
should then consist in the different extension of the web of the toes. As both spe- 
cies are typical burrowers, it is, however, possible that this difference may to be of 
less specific value, the web in burrowing frogs being very variable, as shown by 
SPENCER for Limnodynastes ornatus and to some extent also stated in this paper re- 
garding Notaden benetti. According to KEFERSTEIN (Archiv Naturg. 1868 Bd. 34, p. 
269) the toes of H. albopunctatus are stated to be halfwebbed or almost without any 
web, and according to SPENCER (loc. cit. p. 167) the toes of H. pictus vary from 
»two-thirds to fully webbed>»>. I think, it is not improbable that the variations may 
be found to be still greater, and what is then the difference between these two 
>species»>? 
Ås SPENCER remarks, this species passes through the season of drought buried 
in the earth. At first, Mr. SÖDERBERG did not see a single frog at Mowla Downs, 
but after the pools had become filled with water after two days of rain, they swarm- 
ed with frogs, which cannot be conceived to have come from any other place 
than the before quite dry and hard bottom. (Under similar conditions Chiroleptes 
australis and Notaden benetti were caught as well.) 
The specimen is a male, 44 mm. between nose and vent; the inner side of the 
thumb and the upper side of the 2nd finger covered with brown rugosities. 
Pseudophryne bibronii CNntHrR. — Figs 3 and 4. — 1 specimen, Blackal Range, 
Southern Queensland, in the rain-forest, !?/« 1911; 16 mm. 
I specimen, Adelaide, '!/120 1911; 30 mm. E. Mjöberg. 
In his catalogue BoULENGER says that possibly Ps. bibronit GNTHR »may prove 
to be a mere variety of Ps. australis GRAY», and in the descriptions I have not been 
able to find a single characteristic by which the two forms could be sharply dis- 
tinguished. TI should therefore be very inclined to consider them as identical spe- 
cies, and use for my specimens the older name, Ps. australis GRAY. As, however, 
Mr. J. J. FLETCHER who has studied both when alive is quite sure of their specific 
difference, I do not dare to oppose against his opinion, especially as I have not had 
KE. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl. Band 52. N:o 4. 3 
