OCR Text |
Show 9l0 MB. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [Nov. 14, Colour (in life). Upper surface sepia-brown, mottled darker and lighter ; the disk round the head is translucent, colour yellow very finely speckled with sepia-brown. Lower surface yellowish buff, the intestines showing the transparent skin as a dark purplish patch. Muscular portion of tail sepia-brown mottled with yellow ; the crests are transparent, finely speckled with sepia-brown towards their edges, which are dark brown. The legs as soon as they appear have the bright colour and distinct markings of those of the young toad ; when the fore limbs appear the back begins to take the markings of that of the young toad. Iris, a narrow ring of reddish yellow. Colour (in life) of newly transformed young.-Upper surface of head and body yellowish brown, extensively marked with black ; sides of head and body spotted with orange and yellow. Limbs red, with dark brown cross-bars. Below purplish grey, with numerous very small whitish-yellow spots. Size. Tadpoles (3rd period): total length 34 m m . : length of body 12*5; width of body 7 ; width of mouth 6 ; length of tail 21*5; depth of tail 3*5 ; depth of mouth 5. Newly transformed young : snout to vent 13 to 14 m m. 38. BUFO MELANOSTICTUS Schneid. Bufo melanostictus, Cantor, p. 142 ; Blgr. Cat. Batr. Sal. p. 306 ; Blgr.Faun. Brit. Ind., Rept. p. 505(fig. p.506).; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1896, p. 911, pl. xliv. fig. 3 (tadpole). " Kakong," " Katak piiru," of the Malays of the Peninsula, according to Cantor. " King-kop " of the Siamese. Localities. This is the common toad of the Malay Peninsula and Siam, to be found in abundance at all seasons of the year; I have observed it iu the following localities :-Penang (from sea-level to the summit of Western Hill, 2725 feet); Alor Star, Anak Bukit aud Kulim, Kedah; Taiping, Perak; Johore Bahru ; Singapore ; Paknam Menam, Bangkok, xiyuthia, Pachim, Kabin, and Chantaboon in Siam ; and at Kosichang, an island in the Gulf of Siam, where exceptionally large individuals were seen. Specimens from the same localities vary considerably in roughness, some are nearly covered with strong spinous warts. Habits. This species resembles Bufo vulgaris in habits and manner of feeding,and does well in captivity, readily eating beetles, termites, ants, crickets, grasshoppers, &c, but refusing millipedes. As a rule it frequents cultivated places, or the neighbourhood of paths and clearings, only once have I found a specimen in virgin jungle. At certain seasons the males make a good deal of noise croaking, both when wild or when kept in a vivarium ; while croaking the single vocal sac under the chin is distended into a globular form. I have heard them croaking in February (at Ayuthia), in March (at Pachrn), in July (at Bangkok), and in November (in the Penang Hills). The Siamese are much afraid of toads ; a man I employed |