322 American Amphibia. 



wide central interruption. The Sal. lurida, has an nninterrnptod 

 transverse palatine row forming an obtuse angle directed forward. 

 The Sal. subviolacca, Bart., corresponds with the last in having 

 but a transverse row, but may easily be distinguished by this row 

 being undulating with a slight central angle. The palatine teeth 

 in all are ciuved backward and very acute. It will be perceived 

 that these nine species may be divided somewhat into three groups, 

 founded upon the possession of longitudinal or transverse teeth 

 only, or both combined. In nearly all, the general structure of 

 the tongue is similar to that of the Ranae, but is more closely 

 bound down ; the sides and the posterior extremity which is quite 

 short and rounded, are free but not capable of being projected 

 from the mouth as in the Ranae. 



In the Sal. lurida and subviolacea, it is almost perfectly bound 

 down all its length. I would here remark that the expression, 

 " tongue not attached at the bottom of the gullet but to the edges 

 of the jaw," found in the works of the most eminent authors, 

 when applied to the Ranae, conveys an erroneous idea. I believe 

 in all the species of the restricted genus Rana, the tongue is com- 

 posed of two muscles a hyo-glossus and genio-glossus, the former 

 attached to the horns of the hyoid cartilage, the other to the an- 

 gle of the lower jaw. Such is the structure in all the species 

 of Rana, Bufo and Salamandra I have examined. In the male 

 Bufo Americaiuis, Le Conte, as well as in the Hylae, there is a 

 sac beneath the tongue opening by an orifice on each side of 

 it ; a fact not mentioned in any of the books to which I have had 

 access. In the works of some of our American Herpetologists, 

 the fact of the existence of the external branchiae in the early 

 penod of the development of the young tadpole, appears to be 

 doubted. I possess many specimens illustrative of this fact, as 

 well as the development of the anterior extremities of the tadpole 

 of the Ranae, previous to their protrusion. 



The following appear to bo nondescript species: 

 Sal. agilis, Nob. Palatine teeth an oblong patch, composed of 

 several rows so arranged as to form very acute angles pointing for- 

 ward ; curved backward ; length 2% in. ; head ^ in. ; tail 1^ in. ; 

 fore legs J in. ; hind legs ^ in. ; head oval, flattish ; snout obtuse ; 

 nostrils lateral, small, round ; eyes prominent ; body and tail round, 

 the last terete, pointed ; toes minute, four anterior, five posterior. 

 Color of the head, back and tail above testaceous or lateritious. 



