OCR Text |
Show 1891.] RACES OF RANA ESCULENTA. 381 above, uniform or spotted with black ; hinder side of thighs handsomely marbled with black, and usually with more or less of bright yellow pigment; vocal sacs white or feebly pigmented. The range of variation of the somewhat complex assemblage which I have endeavoured to define as the typical form is very great indeed and forms a gradated series leading from the form ridibunda to the form lessonce. I must confess that the line drawn between the latter and the typical form appears to m e arbitrary, and that m y arrangement is open to this criticism, that there is altogether a greater amount of difference between the two extremes of the series than there is between the extreme in the lessonce direction and the form lessonce itself. The true typical R. esculenta, as figured by Rosel, is pretty well in the middle of the series : the extreme specimens with small inner metatarsal tubercle are from France, Corsica, and Italy ; whilst the opposite extreme obtains in the specimens from Basle and Vienna. Measurements. 1. 2. 3. 6. St. Malo 73 33 35 2 • „ 72 34 38 6 • Paris 69 35 38 2. „ 84 38 40 6. Brussels 54 28 32 2 • ,, 66 33 37 6- Basle 61 27 31 6*. „ 56 26 31 2. „ 67 31 35 2 • „ 63 29 32 6. Geneva 61 31 34 6. „ 51 25 28 2. „ 78 39 40 2 • >, 70 36 37 6 • Copenhagen .... 68 30 35 6. „ .... 63 28 32 2. Lolland 85 35 38 2- „ 80 36 43 6 • Berlin 68 32 37 2. „ 86 35 39 2- Warsaw 87 42 46 2. „ 80 37 40 2- Neusiedl Lake . . 81 43 46 2. „ .. 80 40 45 6. Vienna 64 30 33 2. „ 50 24 26 6. Nice 54 27 30 2. „ 80 41 43 6. Rivoli 65 32 35 2 • „ 66 32 35 PROC ZOOL. Soc-1891, No. XXVI. 4. 8| 10 9 10 8 10 7 7 8 8 8* 6 10 n H 7 9 10 9 10 11| 10 13 13 8 7 71 1922 6 5. H 4 4 4 ••'2 H H 4 4 4H1 ^2 4 4 H 5 Al 4 5 H 5 5 5 4 3J 3 4 4 4 |