4 
PLA T YRRHACIDAl. 
Under Pliyodesmus will be included, for the present at least, all the 
large forms related to P. pictus, such as P. inirayidus (Poc.), P. pfeiff- 
ercB (H. & S.), P. princeps (Gerv.), P. 7 }iagnificus (Silvestri), and 
two new species in the Berlin Museum, P. petersii (No. 268) and 
P. mo?itrado (No. 267). These last were among the specimens indi- 
cated by Peters as types of pictus, from which both differ in their 
smaller size and shorter copulatory legs with a broader ensiform prox- 
imal ramus and a large process from the longer arm. From each 
other they differ in that petei^sii is more slender and with the branches 
of the copulatory legs much longer in proportion to the proximal 
hairy portion of the last joint 
The genus Phractodesmus is distinguished in the possession of ex- 
ceedingly large sternal spines, while its other characters are not re- 
markable. 
The “types” of Psapliodesmus concolor also numerous and in- 
clude several species. Among them was found the specimen (No. 
280) upon which was established the genus Derodesmus. The cop- 
ulatory legs of this last are peculiar in the long slender last joint, 
hairy about half its length, with the terminal portion entirely un- 
branched, but coiled nearly in a circle. Dorsally the specimen is 
sculptured much as in coiicolor, but it is much smaller and less convex. 
As the true type of co 7 icolor may be taken the first specimens indica- 
ted by number (241). The specimens from Dodiiiga (No. 243) are 
much larger in size and nearly black in color, even to the copulatory 
legs. These it is proposed to describe as PsapJiodes 7 nus dodinga. 
The genus nearest related to Psaphodesmus is probably Zodesmus, 
which supposition is in accordance with what little is known of the 
geographic distribution. The type of Ueurodesmus has, as Peters de- 
clared, much external resemblance to certain South American forms 
placed under Rhacophorus, but it is without doubt a member of the 
present family. 
It is perhaps too early to attempt the subdivision of the Platyrrha- 
cidae into groups of higher than generic rank, and yet it is evident 
that there is little close relationship between the Malayan and South 
American forms. Especially is this the case in such instances as 
Phyodesmus, Taphodesmus and Psaphodesmus, which can safely be 
recognized as types of at least subfamily importance. The Phyodes- 
mini and Taphodesmini include as yet but a single genus each^ 
Taphodesmus, though known only from a fragment, is so peculiar that 
further specimens may easily justify the establishment of a distinct 
family. To the Psaphodesmini may be referred Derodesmus and Zo- 
desmus, while the remaining Malayan genera can be provisionally 
included in the Acanthodesmini, from which the separation of other 
subfamilies will doubtless be found convenient. 
May 7, 1896. 
