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Show 722 LIEUT.-COL. BEDDOME ON A NEW BATRACHIAN. [June 18, 12. Description of a new Batrachian from Southern India, belonging to the family Phryniscid-e. By Lieut.-Col. R. H. BEDDOME, C.M.Z.S. [Eeceived June 17, 1878.] MELANOBATRACHUS, gen. nov. Toes cylindrical, not dilated at the ends ; no maxillary or vomerine teeth; ear imperfectly developed, no parotids; sacral vertebra dilated; toes webbed; body slender, elongate, uniform in width ; muzzle short, obtuse; fingers and toes short, metatarsus with a slightly swollen inconspicuous tubercle. MELANOBATRACHUS INDICUS, n. sp. Body with nearly parallel sides as in Ansonia ; no canthus rostralis, no sign of a tympanum or cavum tympani; cleft of mouth extends nearly as far back as the eyelid, the space between the nares -j^- of an inch ; fingers 4, free, short, the third double as long as the others ; toes 5, slightly webbed, the fourth much longer than the third. Eustachian tubes closed, tongue rounded and free behind, surface of the head and body tubercled, arms smooth, the humerus short, hind limbs tubercled, the thigh shorter than the calf; belly and sides smooth. Colour black, with minute white dots on the back and larger ones on the belly, the thighs near their junction with the body are girt with a brilliant scarlet band, | inch in breadth, either continuous all round or interrupted above ; and there are sometimes a few scarlet blotches on the anterior portion of the belly between the fore legs and sometimes on the lower portion of the humerus (the scarlet colour of these markings fading to cream-colour in spirits). Length of body lj to lg inch, length of hind limb to end of fourth toe 1^ to If inch. Hab. The Anamallays and the Ghat range to the south of those mountains, very rare, in moist evergreen forests of 4000 feet elevation, under old rotten logs. The specimens found were all in quite a torpid state and curled up almost into a ball, but became very active when put in spirits. Dr. Anderson, who has kindly prepared the skeleton of one of these Batrachians, informs m e that its osteology much more resembles that of Bufo than Bana; the skull is short and broad, and the frontals and parietals have considerable lateral extension; it is also edentulous, and there are no vomerine eminences; a careful examination of the sternum does not reveal the existence of any omoster-num ; clavicles are present. Dr. Anderson was not able to detect any tympanum under the skin; nor could he trace a tympanic cavity. He mentions that the stem of the stapes is not developed, and moreover that he could not detect any Eustachian openings in the mouth. There are only from 8 to 9 vertebrae in Bufo melanostictus; and the |