20 LARS GABRIEL ANDERSSON, RATRACHIANS. 



Råna nutti Blgr. — Plate 2, Fig. la, Ib. 



Blgr., Ann. Nat. Hist, (6) 18, p. 467 and Träns. Zool: Soc. 19 part 3, p. 240. pl. 8, figs 1, 2. 

 Peracca, Rettili ed Amfibi. Sped. Ruwenzori, vol. 1, Milano 1909. 

 Nieden, Sitzber. Ges. Naturf. Fr. N:o 10, 1910, p. 444. 



4 specimens from Meru Borna, caught during the dry season Va 1911; a small 

 shower of rain on this day had probably made them leave their hiding places. 32 — 70 

 mm. in length from nose to vent. 



2 specimens caught in the primeval forest of Kenia 2 ~°U 1911; 56 — 73 mm:s in 

 length; the one was found in waterfilled elephant-tracks on an open grass-covered place, 

 2,500 m. above the sea-level; the other jumped among the dry leaves on an old camping 

 place, surrounded by a dense thicket of 2 — 3 m:s tall plants, 2,450 m. above the sea. 



1 specimen from Blue-Post, halfway between Nairobi and Fort Hall, at Thika 

 river, 2 U 1911. 76 mm. in length. 



The species is originally described from Tanganyika, and is afterwards recorded 

 from Ruwenzori, as well as from several places in British East Africa, where it seems 

 to be rather common. Nieden (loc. cit.) mentions also specimens from German East 

 Africa, by Boulenger determined as belonging to this species. 



As appears from Peracca's paper, and from the figures published by Bou- 

 lenger, this species is very variable in colour, a fact confirmed by these specimens 

 in a very high degree. At the same time they are, however, so alike that no doubt 

 can arise about their belonging to the same species. The largest specimen from Kenia 

 (a female, 73 mm.) corresponds rather closely with Boulenger's figure 2, the bottom- 

 colour being light olive green with dark spöts on the sides, at the tympanum, and 

 along the börder of the upper jaw, and besides with a dark band from the eye to 

 the nose. The legs are distinctly crossbanded. The web of the hind foot is, however, 

 more notched than in Boulenger's specimen (fig. 1 a). The other Kenia-specimen, a 

 somewhat smaller male (53 mm.), resembles the female rather much, but is consider- 

 ably darker, the upper parts being nearly black. On account of that the dark mark- 

 ings, mentioned in the female, and visible in this specimen as well, become very in- 

 distinct. The web is more developed, and agrees with Boulenger's figure. 



The specimen from Blue-Post is an intermediate form between the two Kenia- 

 specimens. The ground-colour is plumbeous grey, the dark temporal spöt is verj^ 

 distinct, and along the upper jaw, along the sides of the body and on the thighs there 

 is a black and white pattern. The dark cross-bands on the legs are missing. The web 

 is rather more developed than in some of the Kenia-specimens. 



The four specimens from Meru borna are very much like each other; they may 

 be considered as discoloured Blue-Post-specimens. The colour is uniform light brown- 

 ish grey with very indistinct dark cross-bars on the legs and sometimes indistinct 

 dark döts on the back. In the two largest specimens (two males, 70 and 68 mm:s 

 in length) there is no temporal spöt, but in the smaller ones (42 and 32 mm.) the 

 temporal region is somewhat darker than the skin before and behind, but one cannot 



