OCR Text |
Show 1899.] AND BATRACHIANS PROM EOKIEN. 171 length. The character is not borne out by the Kuatun males, two of which, measuring 110 and 83 millim. from snout to vent respectively, I have examined in this respect: the testes have a length of 12 and 11 millim., and a width of 4 and 3, the kidneys measuring 21 and 19 millim. The organ in question is therefore but slightly longer than usual in European specimens. 10. LEPXOBRACHIUM BOETTGERI, sp. n. (Plate XIX. fig. 3.) Tougue entire. Vomerine teeth none. Head moderate, broader than long; snout very short, obliquely truncate, projecting beyond the mouth ; canthus rostralis angular; loreal region concave; interorbital space as broad as the upper eyelid ; tympanum very distinct, two thirds the diameter of the eye. Fingers slender, slightly swollen at the end, first and second equal. Toes slender, slightly swollen at the end, Avith a slight rudiment of web ; a small, oval, flat inner metatarsal tubercle ; no subarticular tubercles. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the eye. Skin smooth, w7ith small scattered warts on the head and back; two small Avhite warts close together on the chin and one on each side of the breast near the insertion of the fore limb. Dark grey or brown above, Avith symmetrical blackish markings; upper surface of snout and scapular regions light; a Avhitish blotch on the upper lip below the anterior half of the eye ; limbs with dark cross bauds ; a small round white spot on the back of the thigh ; throat and breast brown or brownish ; three longitudinal, blackish, light-edged markings on the throat; large blackish spots on the sides of the belly; posterior part of belly and lower surface of thighs dirty white. Male with internal vocal sacs. From snout to vent, c? 35 millim., $ 46. Six specimens. Closely allied to L. monticola Gthr.; differing in the entire tongue and the absence of vomerine teeth. Had I examined but a single specimen, I should not have ventured to separate it from L. monticola. That is m y excuse, but I must, however, apologize to Prof. Boettger for having, a few years ago, identified a specimen from Kiukiang, Avhich he submitted to me, as a young individual of that species (cf. Ber. Senckenb. Ges. 1894, p. 141). I wish to atone for m y mistake by connecting with this new species the name of m y distinguished colleague. Iocalus lateralis And., which I have placedin the synonymy of Leptobrachium monticola, regarding it as based on a young specimen, agrees with L. sinensis in the absence of vomerine teeth, but the tongue is described as slightly notched behind. That the presence or absence of vomerine teeth is a dangerous character to use, unaccompanied by others, in the distinction of species in this genus has been shown in the case of L. carinense Blgr. (cf. W . L. Sclater, P. Z. S. 1892, p. 347). The length of the hind limbs varies much in L. monticola. In Giinther's type specimen from Sikkim they bear the same proportions as in L.sinense, the tibio-tarsal articulation reaching the eye. |