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Show 42 ZOOLOGY OF TilE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. of it when living: " On the centre of the back a strong tinge of grass-green, shading on the sides into a yellowish brown; iris coppery." DIMENSIONS. In. Lin. Length of the head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . 5 of the body . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 of the anterior extremities . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9 of the posterior oxtremities . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 Mr. Darwin found this species "in the island of Inchy, archipelago of Chonos, north part of Cape Tres Montes, from the same great height as Bufo Cltilensis (from 500 to 2500 feet elevation) under a stone." GENus-LITORIA. Bibr. LITORIA GLANDULOSA. Mi!ti. PLATE XVIII.-Fig. 4. Femorihus postice gland~tlosis; digitis posticis breviter palmatis. This species agrees in many respects with Litoria Americana of Bibron. It differs, however, in the toes being much less palmate, at least according to the generic character given by that excellent naturalist, and in the existence of numerous thick glands on the posterior part of the thighs. The very slight degree to which the extremities of the toes are dilated in the other species of this genus, and which would at first sight lead to their allocation amongst the Raniform rather than the Hyliform group, is in the present species even more strongly exhibited; and it can scarcely be said that any dilatation exists at all. The colours in the only specimen brought by Mr. Darwin are much obscured. The upper parts are apparently of an uniform brown, the under parts whitish, dotted with brown. It was taken by Mr. Darwin at Concepcion, in Chile. REPTILES. 43 GENus-BATRACHYLA. Bell. Li~gua suborbiculari~, posti~e li~e~a. Dentes palatini in fasciculis binis obliquis zn~e~ . nares P_ostenor~s dzsposztz. Tympanum distinctum, parvum, 1 • 0 /undum. Digiti d~pressz, ad, apzcem paullo dilatati, truncati. Anteriores ad basirt tantum -postenores paulo plus palmati. . This _ge_nus, which considerably resembles Hylodes, is nevertheless sufficien~ ly d1~tmct from it, in the distribution of the palatine teeth, in the form of the dilatatiOn~ of the toes, in the presence of a small palmar membrane, and some other pmnts. One of the most remarkable of its characters is the form of the dilatation at the extremity of the toes; it is very small, transverse, truncated, and even a little emarginate; in this respect it must be considered as constituting a very near approach to the family of the RANIDJE. We are unfortunately without any information as to the habits of the only known species which could throw any light upon its relations; but it is very clear that the dilatations of the toes are not such as to constitute it a true tree-frog, nor, on the other hand, are the connecting membranes of sufficient extent to give it the typical character of the swimming group of these animals. BATRACHYLA LEPTOPUS, lJfi/ti, P LATE XVIII.- Fig. 5. DEscrurTION.-IIead depressed, broad, rounded. Nostrils small, placed near together. Eyes large, opening considerably upwards. Tongue nearly round, the posterior part free for about one-third of its length. Palatine teeth placed in two small oval groups, placed obliquely, between the posterior nostrils, separated from each other by a considerable space. Tymp'lnum small, nearly round. Limbs of moderate length. The toes on all the feet depressed, slender, the terminal dilatation very small, transverse, truncated ; those of the fore feet connected at the base only, those of the hinder to the union of the first and second phalanges; of those of the fore feet the third is the longest, then the fourth, the second, and the first ; of the hinder the fourth is the longest, then the third and fifth equal, then the second and the first. There are some minute scattered glands on the posterior part of the thighs. The only specimen in Mr. Darwin's collection is in so bad a condition, that it is impossible to say with any certainty what is its natural colour. It is brown G 2 |