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Show 612 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [Nov. 1 7, 9. BUFO VULGARIS, Laur. (Plate XLVI. fig. 4.) Length of body about once and a half its width, and three fifths to two thirds the length of the tail. Nostrils much nearer the eyes than to the end of the snout. Eyes on the upper surface ; the distance between them about twice as great as the distance between the nostrils, and equal to or somewhat less than the width of the mouth. Spiraculum on the left side, directed backwards, nearly equidistant from either extremity of the body, not very prominent, but visible from above and from below. Anus median. Tail three to four times as long as deep, broadly rounded at the end ; both crests nearly equal in depth, with nearly straight and parallel edges ; the depth of the muscular part of the tail, at its base, two fifths the greatest total depth. Beak white, broadly edged with black. Lips with papillae only at the sides, which form an inward fold ; both upper and lower edge toothed, the series of labial teeth being |; the second upper series nearly as long as the first, and very narrowly interrupted in the middle; the three lower series uninterrupted and occupying nearly the whole width of the lip. Lines of muciferous crypts not or scarcely traceable. Blackish brown or black above, blackish grey beneath ; muscular part of tail dark brown or blackish; crests grey, finely speckled as if powdered with black. The tadpole of this, the largest European Batrachian, is very small. The largest specimen measured by me is 32 millim. long : body 12, width of body 8; length of tail 20, depth of tail 5. The recently transformed young measures only 8 to 12 millim. from snout to vent. Descriptions or figures of the tadpole of Bufo vidgaris are given by Rosel (Hist. Ran. p. 94, pi. xxi., 1758), Lataste (Actes Soc. Linn. Bord. xxx. 1876, p. 288, pi. x. figs. 10-12), Heron Royer and Van Bambeke (I. c. p. 291, pi. xxiii. fig. 1), and Bedriaga (Bull. Soc. Mosc. 1889, p. 362.) The Common Toad inhabits the whole of Europe, Northern and Temperate Asia, as far east as Mantchuria, Japan, and China \ and North-west Africa. In Central Europe the breeding-season, which lasts only a few days, falls between the beginning of March and the middle of April, and the young leave the water between the middle of M a y and the end of June. 10. BUFO VIRIDIS, Laur. (Plate XLVI. fig. 5.) Although nearer the latter species, B. viridis may be regarded as, in some respects, intermediate between B. vulgaris and B. calamita ; and this view is supported by the characters of the tadpole, which 1 A specimen was recently obtained by Mr. A. E. Pratt at an altitude of 17,000 feet in the Province of Sze Chuen. In the Alps it does not seem to extend higher up than 7000 feet. |
