| OCR Text |
Show 552 M. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [Nov. 16, space is flat and narrow, its breadth equalling about two thirds of the greatest breadth of the upper eyelid. The tympanum is always very distinct in adult specimens ; its greatest diameter equals about half that of the eye. The cleft of the mouth extends to the level of the front edge of the tympanum, or a little beyond. The tongue does not differ from that of B. calamita. The parotoids are large, broad, depressed, oval, subtriangular or kidney-shaped, beginning at a short distance behind the upper eyelids, their inner edges slightly convergent backwards; they are larger in females than in males; if directed forwards, their extremity would reach the nostrils in the former, scarcely beyond the eyes in the latter. The body is about twice and a half as long as the head in females, somewhat less in males and young. The fore limb is always shorter than the body; it is stronger in males. The fingers do not differ in shape and proportions from those of B. calamita ; but the subarticular tubercles are single-rowed. The hind limb is not quite so short as that of B. calamita, nor so long as that of B. viridis ; if it be carried forwards along the body the metatarsal tubercles reach the middle of the eye in males, the tympanum in females and young. The tibia is a little longer than the head, and provided on its upperside with a large gland like that of B. calamita. The cutaneous tarsal fold is not so distinct as is generally the case in B. calamita. The inner metatarsal tubercle is strong, oval, and very prominent; the outer one is rounded and much smaller than that of B. calamita. The toes are a little longer than those of that species, webbed at the base, and provided with simple subarticular tubercles. The warts upon the body do not differ from those of B. calamita. The upper surfaces are of a light olive tint, with large, insuliform, chestnut-brown or blackish, more or less confluent spots, giving the animal a very beautiful appearance ; these spots respect the vertebral line, where the light ground-colour appears as a rather broad dorsal stripe. This is especially the case in females, whilst in males the spots are generally much less accentuated, and the vertebral stripe consequently rather inconspicuous. The tips of the fingers, and sometimes of the toes, are blackish brown. The lower surfaces are dirty white ; very seldom a few small blackish spots may be seen wide apart on the belly. Such is the coloration of specimens preserved in spirit. It differs very little from that of the living animal, as I know from two water-colours which M. Collin de Plancy had executed by a Chinese artist in Pekin, one of which has been kindly given to me by M . Lataste. These paintings represent the fingers and toes flesh-coloured, and the iris greenish yellow abundantly vermiculated with black, except a narrow ring round the pupil. The males (which do not seem to reach the size of the females) are provided with a subgular vocal sac, which is much less developed than that of B. calamita; the apertures inside the mouth are, as in that species, either on the right side or on the left, or they may be double. |
