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Show 620 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [Nov. 17, confirmed by Bedriaga's observations at Nice, where he has found the frog pairing from the end of February to May, and again in October and November. I have myself this summer, at St. Enogat, observed specimens pairing on the 21st August. Late offspring of course hibernate in the larval condition, as ascertained by Bedriaga (Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1889, p. 542), who obtained near Nice, on the 10th March, in one and the same pond, full-grown tadpoles, spawn, and breeding individuals. Larvae of Pelodytes may therefore be found all the year round. 15. DISCOGLOSSUS PICTUS, Otth. (Plate XLVII. fig. 3.) Length of body once and two thirds its width, two thirds to one half the length of the tail. Eyes on the upper surface of the body, the distance between them about once and a half the distance between the nostrils, equal to or slightly less than the width of the mouth. Spiraculum in the mid-ventral line, equally distant from either extremity of the body. Anal opening median, larger than the spiraculum. Tail three to four times as long as deep, broadly rounded at the end, as in Bufo vulgaris, both upper and lower crests but very feebly convex, the former not extending upon the back ; the depth of the muscular part at its base one half to two fifths the total depth. Mouth elliptical. Beak white, edged with black. Lips bordered by a single series of papillae, which are usually narrowly interrupted in the middle of the upper lip ; a well-marked chink on each side of the lower lip. Series of labial teeth |, occupying the whole width of the lips, the third lower interrupted in the middle; the first upper and the first lower series formed of one or two rows of teeth, the others constantly of two1. lean distinguish the ordinary lines of crypts on the head, and also one running along each side of the back. Brown above, whitish below ; caudal crests whitish, uniform or with small brown dots. The whole body and tail with a network of fine brown lines forming polygonal meshes ; this network most easily traceable on the tail. Total length 33 millim.: body 12, width of body 7; tail 21, depth of tail 6. The tadpole of Discoglossus was first described and figured by Lataste in his " Etude sur le Discoglosse " (Actes Soc. Linn. Bord. xxxiii. 1879, p. 287, pi. v. figs. 1-4) ; and his account has been supplemented by Heron Royer (Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1885, p. 565, pi. xiv.), Heron Royer and Van Bambeke (/. c. p. 280, pi. xxi. fig. 1), and Bedriaga (Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1889, p. 557). Discoglossus pictus inhabits Spain and Portugal, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, and small neighbouring islands, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Its breeding-season lasts from February (in Algeria) to the end of summer. 1 The duplex disposition of these teeth has been overlooked by Heron Royer and Van Bambeke, who state that all the teeth form single series. Such is certainly not the case in the specimens examined by me, some of which were named by M . Heron Royer himself. |
