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Show 616 MR. G. A. B O U L E N G E R O N T H E [Nov. 17, on record is one preserved in the Berlin Museum, obtained in December 1867, on the Jungfernheide, near Berlin, and which measures 175 millim. (E. v. Martens, Sitzb. Ges. nat. Fr. Berl. 1867, p. 35). The masterly figures given by Rosel (Hist. Ranar. pi. xviii., 1758) are still unequalled. The structure of the mouth and lips has been described and figured by Van Bambeke (Bull. Ac. Belg. 2, xvi. 1863, p. 341, pi. i.), F. E. Schulze (Abh. Ak. Berl. 1888, p. 4, pis. i.-iv.), Heron Royer and Van Bambeke (Arch, de Biol. ix. 18S9, pi. xviii. fig. 7, and pi. xix. fig. 1), and Gutzeit (Zeitschr. wiss. Zool. xlix. 1889, p. 50, pi. ii. fig. 16). Pelobates fuscus has a wide distribution, being locally distributed over Germany, Austria, Russia, Southern Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Northern and Central France, the North-western extremity of Switzerland, Piedmont, Lonibardy, and Bologna l. Owing to its burrowing habits, Pelobates fuscus is only found in localities where the soil is particularly light, and it usually chooses deep ponds for depositing its spawn. The breeding-season falls normally between the end of March and the beginning of May; but it has been observed near Ghent, in Belgium, as late as the 21st of July (Van Bambeke, in Heron Royer, Bull. Soc. Et. Sc. Angers, xv. 1885, p. 72). The larvae usually transform in July and August; that, under special circumstances, the larvae may hibernate, is shown by the observations of Kollmann (Rec. Zool. Suisse, i. 1883, p. 75) and Pfliiger (Arch. f. Ges. Phys. xxxi. 1883, p. 134). ' 13. PELOBATES CULTRIPES, CUV. (Plate XLVI. fig. 8.) Differs from the preceding in the following points :-The nostrils are wider apart, the distance between them equalling the width of the mouth, or at least one half the width of the interocular space. The series of labial teeth are more broken up, and their arrangement is therefore less easily expressed by a formula, although practically of the same type as in P. fuscus. According to He'ron Royer, each series presents several curves ; but such an arrangement is not distinctly shown by the tadpoles before me, which I owe to M. Heron Royer himself; that character is therefore not constant. The tail is shorter, hardly once and a half the length of the body. The lines of crypts are usually more distinct than in the allied species, owing to the black colour of the tubules ; their arrangement has been figured by Lataste (cf. supra, p. 615), who at the same time observes that they are liable to no inconsiderable individual variation. The colour is described by Lataste as reddish yellow above, greyish or bluish white beneath ; tail with small brown spots. 1 As noticed by Crivelli (Bend. 1st. Lomb. 2, vi. 1873, p. 174) and Camerano (Boll. Mus. Torin. i. 1886, no. 9), it may be seen, by referring to Spallanzani's Dissertations Nat. Hist. An. & Veget. (Engl, transl. ii. p. 122, London, 1784), that P. fuscus was first discovered in Italy, at Pavia, as early as 1780. The animal is described by Spallnnzani in an unmistakable manner. |