Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
59 
Habit stout : size moderate : limbs short : snout short, blunt, almost 
truncated : tympanum hidden : a large rounded dermal swelling — some- 
times indistinct— over the occiput : interorbital space about as wide as, 
or not as wide as, the upper eyelid is long. Nostril nearer the tip oE the 
snout than the eye. A dermal fold from the eye to the shoulder. 
Fingers free, toes webbed at the base : first finger shorter than the 
second, fourth the shortest : subarticular tubercles on fingers prominent, 
on toes less so but quite distinct : on palmar surface of hand three rather 
large flat rounded tubercles, the two outer partially united. The foot is longer 
than the head ; the inner metatarsal tubercle is large, prominent and 
shovel shape ; a large flat tubercle is present behind the heel : the inner 
toe has a very prominent subarticular tubercle, in form similar to but 
very much smaller than the large metatarsal tubercle. 
The precoracoids, which according to Mocquard are stout in the 
genus Galophrynus , cannot be thus described for our specimens, in which 
these bones are^comparatively slender. 
The tongue which is entire behind is elongated and oval. 
The skin above is smooth or verrucose ; lower surfaces entirely 
smooth or slightly granular on belly and on underside of thighs. 
The colour is variable ; in living specimens a broad oblique band 
which may be white or pink passes from the eye to the base of the 
forelimb : upper surfaces darkish brown with lighter brown and whitish 
marblings : a dark chevron-shape band between the eyes passes on to the 
upper eyelids and on to the back. Lower surfaces whitish : throat 
marbled with brown. In one specimen the dominant colours above are 
dark brown, olive-green, and pink. The colour characters described for 
C . brevis , Blgr. remind us of those of our specimens : from this species, 
however, they are distinct in the greater length of the hands and feet. 5 * 
All these examples, save one, were taken together with Rana labrosa 
during digging operations (vide p. 2). 
The largest specimen measures from snout to vent 34 mm. 939-945. 
Genus Scaphiophryne, Blgr. 
S. MARMORATA, Blgr. Four examples from Ambatoharanana, found 
together on a tree under the bark, a few feet from the ground. The colour 
above in life is dark mottled green. The largest of our specimens measures 
25 mm. from snout to vent. 926-929. 
Sub-family Dyscophinae. 
Genus DYSCOPHUS, Grand. 
D. ANTONGILII, Grand. Twelve examples from Maroansetra, on the 
east coast, taken in marshes. 1239-1250. 
* On reading the account of specimens of this species from the north-west part 
of the island given by Andersson (1, p. 15) we have been led to conclude that a considerable 
amount of variation obtains for this species, though at the same time many of its peculiar 
characters are well enough defined. In the notes alluded to Andersson has described two 
folds, viz., “one to the shoulder and another to the groin, running along the sides of the body.” 
We venture to suggest, however, that the second one of these folds may be due to contraction 
after death, since exactly the same phenomenon was noticed in our own specimens. In life 
these frogs have much the same habits and even appearance of our South African Streviceps 
mossamMcus ; they are very sluggish in their movements, and puff themselyes up in such a 
way that they resemble more than anything else a very soft and pliable india-rubber ball. 
On preservation, however, the normal appearance in life disappears to a large extent. 
