OCR Text |
Show 554 ON BATRACHIANS F R O M THE CAUCASUS. [May 5 Male specimens (8 in number) have a large compressed dermal tubercle, pointed and directed forwards, on the base of the tail just above tbe posterior border of the cloaca. This tubercle, I suggest, may assist in clinging to the female during the pairing. Shining black above, with two more or less regular series of round, oval, or elliptical greenish-yellow spots ; blackish brown or dark plumbeous grey beneath, with or without small greyish-white spots or dots ; tbese small spots constantly present on the throat. millim. millim. millim. Total length 182 155 142 From snout to cloaca .. 66 63 62 Head 13 13 12 Width of head 9-5 9-5 9 Fore limb 20 21 19 Hind limb 22 23 22 Tail 116 92 80 The lungs are short, as much developed as in S. maculosa. The skull is quite typical of a Salamandra, only not so broad as in S. maculosa and 8. atra. There are 17 prsecaudal and 53 caudal vertebra?, against 16 and 25 or 26 in 8. maculosa. MOLGE VITTATA, Gray. (Plate XXII. fig. 2.) This handsome Newt is now represented in the Museum by a fine series, consisting of 14 specimens from Brusa, Trebizonde, and Borshom in Transcaucasia. The dorsal crest of the males may be deeply toothed, as in M. cristata, which this Newt resembles in the shape of the head, the notch in the crest on tbe lumbar region, and the long, slender digits. A dermal fold runs along the outer edge of the crus and tarsus in the males. In the Traus-caucasian specimens the vertical black bars on the dorsal crest are of equal breadth; a whitish band extends along tbe middle of the muscular portion of the basal third of the tail, becoming wavy and broken up further down. The following measurements are taken from five specimens from Borshom :- 8. 8. 8. 8. $• millim. millim. millim. millim. millim. Total length 125 120 119 119 113 From snout to cloaca 60 59 60 59 59 Head 14 14 14 14 13 Width of head 10 10-5 11 10-5 10 Fore limb 25 26 25 26 22 Hand 12 12 11-5 12 9 Hind limb 28 27 27 28 21 Foot 14 14 14 14-5 10 Tail 65 61 59 60 54 An outline figure of the skull has been given by Alfred Duges in not hhiisng p iasp ekrn oownn tofh et hUer oosdteeloelso goyf o fF rtahnicse s,p eicnie s1.8 5I2 .h aOvtehe trhweirsee- |