OCR Text |
Show 608 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [Nov. 17, intermediate between those of the two above-named species. In its labial dentition it agrees with R. esculenta, the series of teeth being usually 3, sometimes | when a third very short series is present on each side of the upper lip. The beak is whitish, narrowly edged with black. Interocular space about once and a half the distance between the nostrils, which equals or slightly exceeds the width of the mouth. Tail pointed, rarely somewhat obtuse, once and two thirds to twice the length of the body, its depth about one third its length ; depth of the muscular part not quite half the greatest total depth. Lines of muciferou3 crypts distinct on the head and body, disposed as in R. agilis (see fig. 3, A, p. 598). Brown above, with metallic spots; caudal crests greyish white, with small brown spots and golden dots on the anterior half of the upper crest; sometimes a series of large brown spots on the upper edge of the tail, or a linear series of small golden spots along the upper and lower crests; belly greyish with golden dots. The largest of the numerous specimens examined, for which I am indebted to the kindness of Prof. G. Born, M . Heron Royer, and Dr. Wolterstorff, measures 43 millim. : body 16, width of body 10; tail 27, depth of tail 9. This tadpole has been described by Born (Arch. f. mikr. Anat. xxvii. 1886, p. 207), Heron Royer and Van Bambeke (/. c. p. 263, pi. xviii. fig. 1), and Bedriaga (Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1889, p. 313), but, with the exception of the mouth, has not yet been figured. R. arvalis is known to inhabit Germany, Holland near Apeldoorn, Switzerland near Basle, Denmark, Sweden, Southern Norway, Russia, Hungary, Transylvania l, Asia Minor, Western Siberia, the Kirghiz Steppes, and North-western Persia. In Germany, R. arvalis breeds, as a rule, about a fortnight later than R. temporaria, and its larvae transform between the middle of June and the beginning of August. 3. RANA TEMPORARIA, L. (Plate XLV. fig. 3.) Length of body once and a half to ouce and two thirds its width, two thirds to one half the length of the tail. Nostrils equally distant from the eyes and from the end of the snout or a little nearer the latter. Eyes on the upper surface of the body, a little nearer the end of the snout than to the spiraculum; the distance between the eyes about once and a half the distance between the nostrils, and a little greater than the width of the mouth. Spiraculum directed backwards and slightly upwards, nearly equally distant from the end of the snout and from the anus, visible from above and from below. Anus opening on the right side, close to the lower edge of the subcaudal crest. Tail three to four times as long as deep, ending in an obtuse point; upper crest convex, not or but slightly deeper than the lower, not extending far upon the back; the depth 1 I am able to add a new European locality to the habitat of this species ; a breeding male obtained at Karlovac, Sclavonia, was presented this spring to the British Museum by Hr. V. Fritsch. |