HARVARD UNIVERSITY Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology AT HARVARD COLLEGE Vol. LXXVIII, No. 1 AUSTRALIAN AMPHIBIA IN THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS By Arthur Loveridge With One Plate CAMBRIDGE, MASS., U. S. A. PRINTED FOR THE MUSEUM January, 1935 No. 1. — Amtralicm Amphibia in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, M assachu.setts By ^rthur Loveridge CONTENTS p^Qg Introduction 3 History of the Collections 4 Taxonomic alterations 6 Systematic List of Australian Amphibia 8 Detailed discussion based on the material 10 Bibliography 58 Index 8 Introduction The arrival in January, 1933, of the third and final consignment of amphibia collected by the recent Harvard Expedition to Australia brings the total number of specimens collected by the Expedition to 581, representing 45 species of which 4 were new to science and have been described elsewhere^ In addition, and as a direct result of this study, a new genus and three new species have been described- based on material collected by Mr. L. Glauert of Perth and Dr. F. N. Blanch- ard of Michigan. The necessity of identifying the Harvard Expedition material involved a thorough reexamination of all earlier Austrahan accessions to the Museum collection, and an intensive study of the status of many recently described species. It revealed that the Museum now possesses all of the 20 genera inhabiting Australia, and 78 of the 88 species or races. In view of the relative comprehensiveness of this material the present paper has been written with ^ view to placing at the disposal of our Australian colleagues, who rendered such generous assistance to the Harvard party during the expedition, the wealth of locality data which would otherwise remain inaccessible to them among the records of our card-index cabinets. Moreover, the study of this material has resulted in a clearer conception of the status of many species and involves numerous changes in taxonomy which are re- ferred to below. 'Loveridge, 1933, Geo. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, pp. 55-60. -Loveridge, 1933, ibid., pp. 89-94. 4 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology History of the Collections The earliest material from the Australian Continent to reach the Museum, consisted of 11 specimens, representing 3 species, but without precise locality. Shortly afterwards a small exchange was arranged with Prof. W. Keferstein of the Gottingen Museum. It is characteristic of the vagueness of locality data at that time in that most of the specimens were simply labelled New South Wales. In 1885, a second collection from the same source brought the total of this historical Gottingen material up to 28, and included what is almost certainlj' a cotype of Keferstein's Pseudophrync coriacea. Then followed a long period of stagnation in so far as the develop- ment of the collection of Australian amphibia was concerned. Small lots, totalling 18 specimens in all but with a high proportion of species, were purchased from Prof. F. Miiller, H. A. Ward, and W. F. H. Rosenberg; those from the latter being presented by Dr. Thomas Barbour more recently. During the earlier part of this period, however, Mr. E. A. C. Olive and Dr. W. M. Woodworth of the Harvard Great Barrier Reef Ex- pedition of 1896, brought back 5 frogs from Cooktown, Port Bowen, and Townsville. These were reported upon by Garman (1901, p. 14). In 1913 (and again in 1929-1930) my colleague Dr. H. L. Clark, who was collecting echinoderms off the tropical northern coasts of Australia, returned with 16 specimens of which 2 represented species {Hyla dayi and Spheiwphryne polysticta) new to the Museum. The earher collection was reported upon by Barbour (1914, p. 201). The following year, 1914, Dr. Thomas Barbour arranged an exchange with the Australian Museum, Sydney, which added 48 frogs repre- senting many species of which no less than 20 were entirely new to the Museum collection. This material has proved of the greatest assistance to me during my present studies. In the same year 2 frogs were re- ceived from the Queensland Museum and 5 others from Mr. T. Steel. These were referable to 4 species all new to the collection here; one was a Hyla hlandsuttoni Procter, a species which at that time was confused with aurea (Lesson). In 1914, Prof. W. M. Wheeler collected and presented 4 examples of the then recently described Phrynomantis ornata (Fry), which proved another welcome addition. Late in the year 1926, Mr. W. S. Brooks, curator of Birds' Eggs, visited Western Australia. In the early part of 1927 he visited the southwest corner of the continent and added 571 amphibia, represent- loveridge: Australian amphibia o ing 7 species of which 4 were new to the collection and 1 of these new to science — Pscudophryne brooksi. This constituted the first extensive amount of material to reach the Museum and included good series of such choice things as Crinia leai Fletcher and Pseudophryne nichollsi Harrison, the latter only described that year (1927). The receipt of this collection stimulated some further interest and in 1929 led to exchanges with several museums — British, Royal Swedish, and Michigan University Museum of Zoology. Two ad- ditional species resulted and also a paratype of Phrynixalus reginae Andersson. One of the first results of the arrival of the Harvard party in Western Australia in 1931 was the receipt of 143 amphibia from Prof. G. E. Nicholls. These represented 11 species of which 4 were new to the Museum, including such fine things as Western Australian examples of Pscudophryne australis, and Myohatrachu.s gouldii. The Harvard Australian Expedition of 1931-1932, consisting of Professor W. M. Wheeler, Dr. Glover M. Allen, Dr. P. J. Darlington, Messrs. W. E. Schevill and R. Ellis, proceeded to Western Australia where they collected during the latter part of 1931. The material resulting from their joint efl^orts was labelled "Harvard Expedition" and so appears in the following pages. Toward the close of the year the senior members returned to the United States and the party split up, Dr. Darlington collecting from Sydney northwards to Cape York, and Schevill through New South Wales, Queensland and that portion of the Northern Territory formerly known as Central Australia. The material secured in 1932 bears the name of one or another of these gentlemen. It should be remembered that the collecting of amphibia formed but a minor activity of the party, yet in all 581 frogs were secured. Eleven of the 45 forms collected were species hitherto unrepresented' in the Museum and included such rarities as Philoria frosti, Lechriodus fletcheri, Crinia acutirostris, Crinia rosea and Sphenophryne gracilipes; most, if not all of which, were only known from the types. During the past six months, by gift or exchange, 93 specimens representing 7 forms lacking in the collection, were received from the Australian Museum, Western Australian Museum, Queen Victoria Museum at Launceston, and Dr. F. N. Blanchard. This brought the total of Australian amphibia in the collection to 1,467. This number has already been reduced by about 200 which, after study and naming, were returned to the leading Australian museums in appreciation of their cooperation with the Harvard Expedition. 6 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Taxonomic Alterations A few remarks on some nomenclatorial and other changes may not be amiss. Boulenger (1882) followed by Nieden (1923) referred certain Australian genera to the families Cystignathidae and Bufonidae. Later Waite (1929) substituted Ceratophriidae for the former. That such a division of the genera is unnatural is obvious if one compares Uperoleia (whose spelling was arbitrarily changed to Hyperolia by Boulenger) of the Cystignathidae with Pseudophryne of the Bufonidae. Recently Noble (1931) assembled the Australian members of both groups of genera in one subfamily, Criniinae, of the Bufonidae. How- ever Noble merges the Leptodactylidae (= Cystignathidae, part, of Boulenger) in the Bufonidae, a course which I am not quite prepared to follow. For the present I prefer to regard the Criniinae as a sub- family of the Leptodactylidae as is done in the present paper. Two preoccupied genera, familiar through long usage, were aban- doned at the suggestion of Ogilby (1907, p. 32), these are Chiroleptes and Cryptotis, the former replaced by Phractops and Mitrolysis, the latter by iVdelotus. I observe also that Fry (1914, p. 179) had already detected that Helioporus constituted the original spelling of this genus by Gray. Boulenger (1882, p. 271) misquoted Gray as spelling it Heleioporus. Though vexatious, the laws of nomenclature necessi- tate our returning to the original spelling. The reasons for other generic changes which I have followed will be obvious from the cita- tions given. The only comprehensive work dealing with Australian amphibia since the appearance of Boulenger's Catalogue of the Batrachia Sa- lientia in the British Museum (1882), are two volumes by Nieden in Das Tierreich, 46 and 49 (1923, Anura 1: 1926, Anura 2).^ Though these works are largely compilations following Boulenger, with the addition of species described in the interval, rather than based on revisionary studies, I should have liked to cite them under each species. The additional cost of printing, however, makes such a course inadvisable at the present time. Instead I have confined my citations to those of the original description and principal synonyms together with the type localities of each. The bibliography at the end of this paper has been curtailed by omitting the papers thus cited and limit- ing it to such papers as it has been necessary to refer to in the text. Actually many others have been consulted in addition to those listed. 'To these should be added Parker, 1934, "Frogs of the family Microhylidae," which was first seen after the galleys of this paper were received. It represeuts an aiilhiMitic revision of all species. loveridge: Australian amphibia As already indicated, these studies have led me to consider as synonyms a number of species hitherto considered valid, though doubts as to the specific distinctness of three of them have already been ex- pressed by other workers. The following are considered strict synonyms: Neohatrachus pictus Peters Heleioporus sudelli Lamb Limnodynastes olivaceus De Vis Crinia stolata Cope Crinia michaelseni Werner Pseudophryne fimbrianus Parker Hyla luteiventris Ogilby Hyla tympanocryptis Andersson Hyla gilleni Spencer Hyla serrata Andersson Hyla ewingii orientalis Fletcher Hyla krefftii Giinther Hyla nannotis Andersson Pelodytes affinis Gray Hyla nigrofrenata Giinther Hyla vinosa Lamb Hyla tornieri Nieden Hyla dimolops Cope Phrynixalus reginae Andersson Austrochaperina robusta Fry- Austrochaperina brevipes Fry = Helioporus eyrei (Gray) = Helioporus eyrei (Gray = Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Giinther = Crinia signifera ignita Cope = Crinia leai Fletcher = Uperoleia marmorata rugosa (Andersson) = Hyla gradlenta Peters = Hyla dayi Giinther = Hyla caerulea (Shaw) = Hyla eucnemis Lonnberg = Hyla ewingii verreauxii Dumeril = Hyla jervisiensis Dumeril & Bibron = Hyla obsoleta Lonnberg = Hyla lesueurii Dumeril & Bibron = Hyla lesueurii Dumeril & Bibron = Hyla lesueurii Dumeril & Bibron = Hyla lesueurii Dumeril & Bibron = Hyla latopalmata (Giinther) = Phrynomantis ornata (Fry)' = Sphenophryne polysticta (v. Mehely) = Sphenophryne polysticta (v. Mehely) The following are considered to be subspecies : Limnodynastes peronii lineatus De-Vis Crinia signifera ignita Cope Crinia affinis haswelli Fletcher Crinia laevis froggatti Fletcher Uperoleia marmorata ^ugosa (Andersson) From the above it will be seen that three New Guinea species are added to the Australian fauna by their Queensland counterparts being placed in the synonymy. The species to which I refer, are: Hyla eucnemis Lonnberg Hyla obsoleta Lonnberg Sphenophryne polysticta (v. Mehely) ^Cophixalus ornalus (Fry) according to Parker, 1934, p. 171. ^Parker, 1934, p. 157 considers robusta a composite, only part being a synonym of S. polyslicla. 8 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Among the more interesting results of this revisionary study, is the finding of Western AustraHan Pseudophryne mistralis. This reveals that the Sydney frog has been misnamed australis for nearly half a century; it should be called albifrons (Dumeril & Bibron). The identi- fication of the Sydney frog known as Hyla krefftii Giinther with the older jervisiensis Dumeril & Bibron, which in the literature of nearly a century has been known only from the type, may be questioned by some, but is, I believe, correct. Less unfortunate in its results is the finding that another Sydney frog — Hyla dimolops Cope — is a synonym of H. latopalmata (Giinther). Systematic List of Australian Amphibia LEPTODACTYLIDAE page Mixophycs fasciolatus fasciolatus Giinther 10 Mixophyes fasciolatus schevilli Loveridge 11 Phractops dahlii Boulenger 11 Phractops platycephalus (Giinther) 12 Phractops brevipes (Peters) 12 Phractops australis (Gray) 13 *Phractops inermis fPeters) Mitrolysis albogiittatus (Giinther) 13 Helioporus albopunctatus Gray 14 Helioporus insularis Loveridge 15 Helioporus pelobatoides Werner 15 Helioporus eyrei (Gray) 15 Philoria frosti Spencer 16 Philocryphus australiacaus (Shaw) 17 Limnodynastes peronii peronii (Dumeril & Bibron) 17 Limnodynastes peronii lineatus De Vis 18 Limnodynastes salmini Steindachner 19 Limnodynastes tasmanieiuis Giinther 19 * Limnodynastes flctcheri Boulenger Limnody7iastes platycephalus Giinther 20 Limnodynastes dorsalis dorsalis (Gray) 21 Limnodynastes dorsalis dumerilii Peters 21 * Limnodynastes dorsalis interioris Fry ♦Unrepresented in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. lovekidge: Australian amphibia 9 Limnodynastes dorsalis terraereginae Fry 21 Limnodynastcs ornatus (Gray) 22 Lechriodus fldchcri (Boulenger) 22 Adelotus brcvis (Giinther) 23 Crinia georgiana Tschudi 23 Crinia glauerti Loveridge 24 *Crima varius (Peters) Crinia signifera signifcra (Girard) 24 Crinia signifera ignita Cope 25 Crinia affinis affinis Giinther 26 Crinia affinis haswelli Fletcher 27 Crinia tasmanieiisi^ (Giinther) 28 Crinia laevis laevis (Giinther) 29 Crinia laevis froggatti Fletcher 29 *Crinia vidoriana Boulenger Crinia darlingtoni Loveridge 29 Crinia acutirostris Andersson 30 Crinia leai Fletcher 30 Crinia rosea Harrison 30 *Uperoleia marmorata marmorata Gray Uperoleia marmorata rugosa Andersson 31 *Pseudophryne mjobergii Andersson Pseudophryne avstralis (Gray) 31 Pseudophryne albifrons (Dumeril & Bibron) 32 Pseudophryne blanckardi Loveridge 33 Psexulophryne bibro7iii Steindachner 33 Pseudophryne coriacea Keferstein 33 Pseudophryne dendyi Lucas 34 Pseudophryne semimarmorata Lucas 34 Pseudojjhryne brooksi Loveridge 35 Pseudophryne nichollsi Harrison 35 Pseudophryne guentheri Boulenger ."• 36 Glauertia ru^selli Loveridge . 37 Notaden bennetti Giinther 37 Myobatrachus gouldii (Gray) 37 HYLIDAE Hyla gracilenia Peters 37 *Hyla chloris Boulenger Hyla dayi Giinther 38 ♦Unrepresented in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 10 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Hyla caerulea (Shaw) 39 *Hyla infrafrenata Giinther Hyla eucnemis Lonnberg 40 Hyla peronii (Tschudi) 41 Hyla bicolor (Gray) 41 Hyla phyllochroa Giinther 42 *Hyla maculata Spencer Hyla rubella Gray 42 Hyla dentata Keferstein 42 Hyla citropus (Tschudi) 43 Hyla parvidens Peters 43 Hyla jervisiensis Dumeril & Bibron 44 Hyla eioingii ctvingii Dumeril & Bibron 45 Hyla ewiugii verreauxii Dumeril 46 Hyla ewingii alpina Fry 47 Hyla adelaidensis Gray 48 Hyla aurea (Lesson) 49 Hyla hlandsitttoni Procter 50 Hyla obsoleta Lonnberg 50 Hyla lesucurii Dumeril & Bibron 51 Hyla latopalviata Giinther 52 Hyla freycineti (Dumeril & Bibron) 53 Hyla nasuta (Gray) 54 RANIDAE Rana papua papua (Lesson) 54 BREVICIPITIDAE Phrynoinantis ornata (Fry) 55 Sphenophryne gracilipes (Fry) 56 Sphenophryne polystida (v. Mehely) 56 LEPTODACTYLIDAE Mixophyes fasciolatus fasciolatus Giinther Mixophyes fasciolatus Giinther, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 46, pi. vii, fig. 1: Clarence River, New South Wales. Hyla fenestrata De Vis, 1884, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., 1, p. 128: Tweed River. (Boundary New South Wales & Queensland.) * Unrepresented in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. loveridge: Australian amphibia 11 d" 9 (M. C. Z. 3592-3) Nambucca River, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914' 2 (M. C. Z. 18147-8) Cascade, Dorrigo, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18149) Salisbury, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 3 (M. C. Z. 18482-4) Bunya Mountains, Q. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. Taken at altitudes from 1,000 to 3,000 feet. Boulenger (1882, p. 188) states "tongue circular," this appears to be the case with some frogs but in others it is deeply notched. While in the frogs from Nambucca River and Bunya Mountains the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb only reaches to the eye, in those from Cascade and Salisbury (with the exception of No. 18148, which is a 29 mm. juvenile) it extends well beyond the end of the snout; such variation is not a sexual character neither is it racial in a taxonomic sense though probably constant one way or the other in adult specimens from a given locality. Three joints of the fourth toe and at least the terminal joint of the fifth are free of web in all the above specimens, a character which I believe separates the typical form from the northern race so recently described. The largest speci- men (No. 18483) measures 84 mm. MixoPHYES FASCIOLATUS scHEViLLi Loveridge Mixophyes fasciolatus schevilli Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 55: Millaa Millaa, Atherton Tableland, Queensland. 3 (M. C. Z. 18150-2) Millaa Millaa, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18480) Lake Barrine, Q. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18481) Bellenden Ker Range, Q. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. These are the types of a northern race differentiated by two joints of the fourth toe being free of web (exclusive of a possible narrow fringe) and not even the terminal joint of the fifth toe being free of web. Phractops dahlii (Boulenger) Chiroleptes dahlii Boulenger, 1895, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 867, pi. xlix, fig. 2: Daly River, Northern Territory. 2 (M. C. Z. 15576-7) Near Melbourne, V. (Michigan Mus.) 1929. The locality on these specimens should only be accepted with the greatest reserve. On enquiry, I learn from Mrs. H. T. Gaige of the Michigan Museum that these frogs were received from a lady — Dr. G. Buchanan — resident in Melbourne and were supposedly from 12 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology that locality. I have no doubt as to their being correctly identified as dahlii with figure of which they are in close agreement. From Boulenger's description these adult females differ in the fol- lowing points: Snout (as from the nostril) slightly shorter than the diameter of the orbit; first finger longer or shorter than the second; fourth toe with only a very narrow fringe of web on the last joint, said to be "webbed to the tips;" the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches in front of the eye (No. 15577) or falls short of it (No. 15576). The larger specimen, a female (No. 15577) measures 67 mm., the type was 70 mm. Phractops platycephalus (Giinther) Chiroleptes platycephalus Giinther, 1873, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), 11, p. 350: Fort Bourke, New South Wales. cf (M. C. Z. 3581) Darling River, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 18172) ?Murchison district, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1932. 8 (M. C. Z. 18173-9) Near Yalgoo, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1932. The Yalgoo specimens came from Dalgaranger Station, fifty miles to the northeast of Yalgoo. This species is omitted from Fry's (1914, p. 198) key to the amphibia of Western Australia, but the western specimens listed above agree well with the eastern. Of the type Boulenger (1882, p. 268) stated, "tympanum indistinct;" in all our ten specimens, however, it is per- fectly distinct; nor is the tongue always entire, in No. 18172 it is clearly nicked behind; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches the axilla or shoulder; it is the tarso-metatarsal articulation that marks the tympanum so that Boulenger's statement would appear to constitute a lapsus calami. Giinther makes no men- tion of this character. The largest specimen (No. 18172) measures 60 mm. Phractops brevipes (Peters) Chiroleptes brevipes Peters, 1872, Monatsber. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1871 (1872), p. 648: Port Bowen (Queensland). Chiroleptes brevipalmatus Giinther, 1876, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 5, no. 12, p. 47: Port Denison, Gayndah, and Peak Downs, Queensland. cf^ 9 (M. C. Z. 3585-6) Darling River, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. These two frogs were received as brevipalmatus, and doubtless con- stitute part of the series of eight frogs from Wilcannia, Darling River, ' loveridge: Australian amphibia 13 of which Fry (1915, p. 70) writes. It should be noted that in the amount of webbing they approximate rather to brevipes, though in possessing a nostril which is equidistant between the eye and end of snout they agree rather with the description of brevipalmatus. Judging by the descriptions these two species appear to be so closely related that I suspect that they may not be really distinct. The larger speci- men (No. 3586) measures 46 mm. Phractops australis (Gray) Alytes australis Gray, 1842, Zool. Miscellany, p. 56: Port Essington, Northern Territory. 1 (M. C. Z. 3584) Cooktown, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 18180) Burnett River, Q. (T. L. Bancroft) 1932. 4 (M. C. Z. 18181-4) Coen, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18185) Mt. Carbine, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. Boulenger (1882, p. 268) in his key to the species of Phractops, states "snout twice as long as the greatest orbital diameter" by which he means snout as from the anterior border of the orbit, unfortunately in other keys he treats of the snout as from the nostril only. The largest specimen (No. 3584) measures 85 mm. MiTROLYSis alboguttatus (Gunther) Chiroleptes alboguttatus Gunther, 1867, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), 20, p. 54: Port Denison and Cape York, Queensland. 9 (M. C. Z. 3605) Eidsvold, Burnett R., Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 9 (M. C. Z. 3703) Brisbane, Q. (Queensland Mus.) 1915. 1 (M. C. Z. 11647) Alexandra, N. T. (British Mus.) 1915. 1 (M. C. Z. 18529) Mt. Wilson, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. Number 11647 is a young frog and was received from the British Museum as P. australis but, though coming from near the type locality of that species, it appears to agree rather with alboguttatus. This species has been removed from Phractops (Chiroleptes is pre- occupied) to Mitrolj'sis on account of its supposedly lacking a vertical pupil; a character which is masked in the specimens listed except No. 18529 where it is elliptically vertical. In this connection attention should be directed to Fletcher's statement (1891-2, p. 271) that in 14 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology life P. platycephalus and P. australis from Herberton have distinctly horizontal, 7iot vertical pupils. This was subsequently confirmed by Spencer (1896, p. 160) for platijccphalus only. In the few individuals of platycephalus in our collection in which this character is observable, they are vertical. The matter deserves the careful attention of Aus- tralian herpetologists, and the status of all the species should be reinvestigated. If australis has a horizontal pupil, it would appear that Cyclorana, Steindachner, 1867 (of which auMralis was the type) should take precedence over Mitrolysis, Cope, 1889 for those species having a horizontal pupil. The length of the snout, used by Boulenger (1882, p. 268) as a key character to distinguish alhoguttatas from australis (see remarks under that species) in reality fails to do so, the nostril is equidistant from the eye and the end of the snout while the diameter of the orbit is equal to the distance from the nostril to the end of the snout. Two specimens (Nos. 3605, 3703) measure 63 mm. Helioporus albopunctatus Gray Helioporus albopunctatus Gray, 1841, in Grey's Journ. Exped. Discov. West. Australia, 2, p. 447, pi. 1, fig. 2: Western Australia. 9 (M. C. Z. 3627) Western Australia (Australian Mus.) 1914. 10 (M. C. Z. 18186-95) Meckering, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18196-7) Geraldton, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. 11 (M. C. Z. 18203-12) Margaret River, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 3 (M. C. Z. 18213-5) Pemberton, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. It might be as well to state that the Margaret River where the Harvard Expedition collected was situated in the Southwest Division of Western Australia. The frogs from Geraldton, 10. x. 31, one from Margaret River, 6. xi. 31, and Pemberton, 10-16. xi. 31, range in size from 15 to 26 mm., present an obviously juvenile appearance about the mouth and snout and some from each locality retain their tails or stumps of the same. On account of their white metatarsal tubercles I refer them to albo- punctatus; in the adults this tubercle is rust-colored. The largest specimen (No. 18195) measures 75 mm. While in the text the name of this species is spelled as above, the legend which appears beneath the figure on plate 1 states "Helcioporus ahhoguttatus (Gray)." loveridge: Australian amphibia 15 Helioporus insularis Loveridge Helioporus insularis Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 92: Rottnest Island, Western Australia. 5 (M. C. Z. 18198-202) Rottnest Id., W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. The above are juvenile paratypes taken on October 6, 1931 and still showing stumps of tails. The island form differs in size and color from the mainland species, as was pointed out to me by Mr. L. Glauert. Helioporus pelobatoides Werner Heleioporus albopunctatus var. pelobatoides Werner, 1914, in Michaelsen & Hartmeyer's Fauna Slid west- Australien, 4, p. 418: Beverley and Broome Hill, south Western Australia. d" (M. C. Z. 19430) Tambellup, W. A. (Western Australia Mus.) 1933. Nieden (1923, p. 526) was in error in placing pelobatoides in the synonymy of albopunctahis. If our specimen is correctly determined — and Tambellup is not far from the type locality — it is undoubtedly a full species. This male, with brown rugosities on the first and second digits, shows breeding asperities like the African Megalixalus, measures 37 mm, Helioporus eyrei (Gray) Perialia eyrei Gray, 1845, in Eyre's Journ. Exped. Discov. Cent. Australia, 1, p. 407, pi. ii, fig. 3: Australia, on the banks of the river Murray. Neohatrachus pidus Peters, 1863, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 235: Ade- laide, South Australia. Heleioporus sudelli Lamb, 1911, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 10, p. 26: Warwick, southern Queensland. 3 (M. C. Z. 188216-8) Mullewa, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 1 (M. C. Z. 18219) Pindawa, W. A. (W. E. Schevill) 1931. Pindawa is 35 miles from Mullewa. Boulenger (1882, p. 271) referred eyrei to the synonymy of albo- punctatus but gave the type locality as "W. Australia." However, as we know that Eyre travelled along the Murray River, there seems to have been no justification for this change. Presuming, therefore, that the type locality was, as stated, on the Murray River, then, as alba- 16 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology pundatus is unknown from South Australia, the types of eyrei very possibly represent the frog which was later named pictus by Peters. H. pictus is a full species characterized by its small size and a black metatarsal tubercle. This tubercle is black in all four of our frogs one of which still retains its larval tail. I imagine that the frogs from Mowla Downs and seventy miles south of the Fitzroy River, which Andersson (1913, p. 16) refers to pictus though stating that their meta- tarsal tubercles are not black, are probably juvenile albopunctatus. Spencer (1896, p. 166) is somewhat ambiguous on this point. If the metatarsal tubercle is not always black it would be interesting to know why. Lamb (1911, p. 26) when describing sudclli does not men- tion the color of the tubercle, so that it is with some misgivings that I refer sudelli to the synonymy. While the maximum size appears to be about 44 mm., our largest example (No. 18219) measures only 28 mm., and the smallest, 17 mm. A Mullewa frog, taken on 12. ix. 31, still retains its tail. Philoria frosti Spencer Philoria frosti Spencer, 1901, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria (2), 13, p. 176: Mt, Baw Baw, Victoria. 6 (M. C. Z. 18423-5) MacPherson Range, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. This northern record from southern Queensland provides an inter- esting extension of range for this rather brevicipitid-like frog. From the original description they differ in having round, not horizontal pupils; tympana, though generally hidden are occasionally distinguishable; the parotid glands are not so conspicuous as in the type nor the dorsal surface so warty as one would judge from the description. Warts are present, however, though the general appear- ance (probably due to immersion in water before preservation) is smooth above and below. The following description is based on a 33 mm. female. Habit stout. Head longer than broad; snout subacuminate; the distance from the nostril to the tip of the snout is greater than its distance from the anterior border of the orbit and equals the orbital diameter; canthus rostralis rounded but distinct, loreal region concave; inter- orbital space slightly concave, once and a half times as broad as an upper eyelid; pupil round; anterior portion of tympanum distinct (hidden in some specimens); tongue pyriform, slightly nicked and free behind; vomerine teeth in two oblique groups, their anterior and loveridge: Australian amphibia 17 outer edges close behind, though not projecting beyond the choanae, their posterior edges scarcely separated on the median line of the palate; no prominent, cutaneous, palatal folds. Fingers stout, their tips undilated, the length of the first half that of the second, which equals the fourth, third the longest; two prominent, though flat, metacarpal tubercles, a third sometimes distinguishable; toes well developed, free, without web, their tips undilated, first toe about half as long as the second which equals the fifth and is about half as long as the third which is about two-thirds the length of the fourth; sub- articular tubercles only slightly prominent; a small, flattened, inner metatarsal tubercle, no outer one; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb scarcely reaches the axilla in females but to the tympanum in males; the tip of the longest toe reaches just beyond the end of the snout in females. Skin smooth above though with in- cipient warts distinguishable; below, smooth. Measurements of this female: Snout to anus 33 mm., fore limb from axilla 14 mm., hind limb from anus 40 mm. Measurements of a male: Snout to anus 25.5 mm., fore limb from axilla 10 mm., hind limb from anus 40 mm. Philocryphus australiacus (Shaw) Rana australiaca Shaw, 1795, Nat. Miscellany, 6, pi. cc and text: Australia. Philocryphus flavoguttatus Fletcher, 1893, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2), 8, p. 233: Mt. Victoria, Blue Mountains, Cook Co., New South Wales. Philocryphus australiacus Fry, 1915, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., 27, p. 70. c? (M. C. Z. 3524) Leura, N. S. W. (T. Steel) 1914. Fry (1914, p. 206) has given reasons wh}' Philocryphus should be retained and not merged with Helioporus as suggested by Fletcher (1898, p. 679). Later Fry (1915, p. 70) rescued australiacus from the oblivion in which it had lain for over a century, and correctly identified it with flavoguttatus. Our fine male, taken in January, 1912, by the donor, measures 83 mm. LiMNODYNASTES PERONii PERONii (Dumeril & Bibrou) Cystignathus peronii Dumeril & Bibron, 1841, Erpet. Gen., 8, p. 409: "?Nou- velle-Hollande." 1 (M. C. Z. 879) New South Wales (Gottingen Mus.) N. D. 2 (M. C. Z. 1939) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 2247) Brisbane, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 2 (M. C. Z. 18527-8) Blackheath, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 18 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology All six frogs are characterized by the metatarsal tubercle of the adpressed hind limb reaching well beyond the end of the snout. This is not the case with any of the examples of the northern subspecies in our collection. Number 18538 has lost its left foot at the tibio-tarsal joint, the latter terminates in two fleshy pseudodigits, the larger slightly over 3 mm. in length. The four older frogs are somewhat macerated. The largest specimen (No. 18537) measures 53 mm. Compared with two examples in the Philadelphia Academy of Nat- ural Sciences (Nos. 10062-3) believed to be cotypes and received from Dumeril. LiMNODYNASTES PERONII LINEATUS De Vis Liimnodynastes lineatus De Vis, 1884, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 9, p. 65: Mackay, Queensland. 2 (M. C. Z. 9587-8) Ebor, N. S. W. (W. F. H. Rosenberg) 1924. 1 (M. C. Z. 18168) Barrington Tops, N. S. W. (P. J. D.) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18169) Millaa Millaa, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. The Ebor frogs were purchased from Rosenberg as tasmaniensis which they certainly are not. In Boulenger's key (1882, p. 258) they run down to platycephalus from Adelaide but differ from that species in possessing a single metatarsal tubercle and in their very different coloration, which agrees with that of peronii. The whole series differ from typical peronii, however, in their shorter hind limbs of which the tarso-metatarsal articulation, when adpressed, reaches the nostril (Nos. 9587-8) or end of snout (Nos. 18168-9) which conforms to De Vis' statement that "the ankle reaches the front edge of the orbit." Excepting that the snout may be said to equal the diameter of the orbit, they agree perfectly with De Vis' description even to details of markings. The placing of lineatus in the synonymy of peronii, as has been done by several authors, would appear to be unjustifiable unless it can be demonstrated that this striking difference in leg length has no geographical significance. The series shows the inner metatarsal tubercle to be short and blunt, no outer tubercle; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the shoulder or almost to the eye (No. 18168); the vomers extend laterally well beyond the choanae; first finger shorter than the second. The largest specimen (No. 18169) measures 60 mm. loveridge: Australian amphibia 19 LiMNODYNASTES SALMiNi Steindachner Limnodynastes salmini Steindachner, 1867, Reise Oesterr. Freg. No vara, Amphib., p. 27, pi. iv, figs. 12-15: Australia. Limnodynastes olivaceus Fry (not of De Vis), 1915, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., 27, p. 65; (redescription). 1 (M. C. Z. 3610) Mapoon, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. cf (M. C. Z. 3623) Burnett River, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. ? (M. C. Z. 3624) Richmond, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. The Mapoon frog was received from the Australian Museum as olivaceus De Vis, and is presumably one of the four specimens on which Fry based his redescription of olivaceus. In this Fry was in error for the type of olivaceus, as described by De Vis, had two metatarsal tubercles, the Mapoon frog only one; it differs in several other ways from the description of olivaceus. As stated below, I consider olivaceus to be a synonym of tasmaniensis though it may possibly constitute a northern race of that frog. On the other hand the Mapoon frog only differs from the Burnett River and Richmond River specimens in that its first finger equals the second, instead of being slightly longer. The three frogs listed above agree in having the vomers extending laterally well beyond the choanae; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the shoulder or the eye; the metatarsal tubercle to the eye or just beyond; first finger equal to, or longer than, the second; length of snout equal to, or slightly shorter than, the diameter of the orbit; vertebral stripe absent, or faintly suggested (No. 3610) as in the figure of the type. The largest specimen (No. 3624) measures 45 mm. Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Giinther Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Giinther, 1858, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., p. 33, pi. ii, fig. B: Tasmania. Limnodynastes affinis Giinther, 1863, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), 2, p. 27: Clarence River, New South Wales. Limnodynastes peronii var. rugulosus Keferstein, 1867, Nachr. Ges. Gottingen, p. 344: Sydney, New South Wales. Limnodynastes olivaceus De Vis, 1884, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 9, p. 66: Mackay, Queensland. 20 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology • 9 (M. C. Z. 399) Australia (No further data) N. D. 1 (M. C. Z. 1901) Victoria (H. A. Ward) 1884. 6 (M. C. Z. 3611-6) Eidsvold, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 19333) Launceston, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 1 (M. C. Z. 19580) Kangaroo Island, S. A. (E. R. Waite) 1924. Six frogs of this genus have been described which are said to have two metatarsal tubercles. Two of these have been referred to the synonymy of tasmaniensis by Boulenger, a third (olivaceus) is added for reasons stated in detail below. The remaining two are L. platy- cephalus Giinther, 1867, from Adelaide, S.A., and L.fletcheri Boulenger, 1888, of Guntawang, near Mudgee, N.S.W., of the latter I have no material but they appear to be well differentiated. A seventh species, L. marmoralus Lamb, was stated by its author to have only one meta- tarsal tubercle but has been put into the synonymy of fletchcri by Fry (1912, p. 98) as a probability; his action appears well justified. Fry has referred the Eidsvold specimens to tasmaniensis but I find that they only differ from the description of olivaceus in their vomerine teeth. In olivaceus these were said to extend "a little beyond the choanae." In our Queensland series they vary from those markedly within the choanae to others in which the vomerine teeth reach well to the outer borders of the choanae; as they show so much variation I am prepared to assume that in the holotype of olivaceus they may have been even more extended. The series agrees in the tarso-metatarsal articulation of the ad- pressed hind limb reaching to the eye or tip of the snout, the tibio- tarsal articulation reaching to the shoulder or eye; first finger shorter, or equal to, the second; snout (from nostril) is equal to, or a trifle shorter than, the orbital diameter (in tasmaniensis and olivaceus it is said to be "longer" and "rather longer"). The largest specimen (No. 19580) measures 48 mm. Limnodynastes platycephalus Giinther Limnodynastes platycephalus Giinther, 1867, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), 20, p. 54: Adelaide, South Australia. 1 (M. C. Z. 19581) Kangaroo Island, S. A. (E. R. Waite) 1924. 1 (M. C. Z. 19600) Wilpena, S. A. (H. M. Hale) 1921. Number 19581 was originally received from the South Australian Museum as L. tasmatiicnsis together with an example of that species from the same localitv and taken bv the same collector. loveridge: Australian amphibia 21 The species is very close to tosmanu'iisis as stated by Boulenger (1882, p. 261) but differs from it by the broader head and very diff'er- ent color pattern. The hind limb probably averages longer in platy- eephalus but I fail to find any difference in length of snout between the two species. The tarso-metatarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the nostril (No. 19600 which is young) or beyond the tip of the snout (No. 19581, adult); the first finger is shorter than the second. The larger frog (No. 19581) measures 39 mm. LiMNODYNASTES DORSALIS DORSALIS (Gray) Cyslignaihus dorsalis Gray, 1841, in Grey's Journ. Exped. Discov. West. Australia, p. 446: Western Australia. 2 (M. C. Z. 396, 398) Australia (H. A. Ward) N. D. 2 (M. C. Z. 13017-8) Balcatta Beach, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1926. 1 (M. C. Z. 18153) Nornalup, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1925. 1 (M. C. Z. 18154) Point Peron, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 1 (M. C. Z. 19258) Eaglehawk Neck, T. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. 1 (M. C. Z. 1^330) Tasmania (T. S. M. English) 1903. 1 (M. C. Z. 19371) Stanley, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. These frogs agree well with Fry's (1913, p. 23) key to the typical form excepting that No. 18153 presents a granular appearance dor- sally, possibly due to the method of preservation. The largest speci- men (No. 18154) measures 64 mm. LiMNODYNASTES DORSALIS DUMERILII Peters Limnodynastes (Platyplectron) dumerilii Peters, 1863, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 235: Adelaide, South Australia. 1 (M. C. Z. 2248) Brisbane, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 2249) Cootamundra, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. Brisbane is near the northern limits of this race as defined by Fry (1915, p. 68). The larger specimen (No. 2249) measures 64 mm. LiMNODYNASTES DORSALIS TERRAEREGINAE Fry Limnodynastes dorsalis var. terrae-reginae Fry, 1915, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl.f 27, p. 67, fig. 2a: Somerset, Cape York, Queensland. Limnodynastes dorsalis Garman, 1901, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 39, p. 14. 22 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology 1 (M. C. Z. 2315) Cooktown, Q. (E. A. C. Olive) 1896. 1 (M. C. Z. 2560) Queensland, (T. Barbour don.) 1909. 8 (M. C. Z. 3702, 18155-9) Eidsvold, Q. (T. L. Bancroft) V. D. The Cooktown specimen listed by Garman (1901, p. 14) and Fry (1913, p. 28) differs from all the others in its handsome coloring — brown streaks and vermiculations superimposed on a cream-colored ground. The Eidsvold, Burnett River frogs are, in a sense, topotypes of Fry's paratypes from that locality. The largest specimen (No. 3702) measures 79 mm. Limnodynastes ornatus (Gray) Discoglossus ornatus Gray, 1842, Zool. Miscellany, 2, p. 56: Port Essington, Northern Territory. cf 9 (M. C. Z. 3601-2) Somerset, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 8 (M. C. Z. 18160-7) Coen, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18485) Mundubbera, Q. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18486) Rutherford, Sellheim R., Q. (L. MacFarlane) 1932. 35 (M. C. Z. 18530-46) Hermannsburg, N. T. (W..E. Schevill) 1932. The tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches the axilla or the eye. The largest specimen (No. 18530) measures 48 mm. Lechriodus fletcheri (Boulenger) Phanerotis fletcheri Boulenger, 1890, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2), 5, p. 593: Dunoon, Richmond River, New South Wales. Ranaster fletcheri Nieden, 1923, Das Tierreich, 46, Anura, 1, p. 535. Lechriodus fletcheri Noble, 1931, Biol. Amphib., p. 497. 1 (M. C. Z. 18170) Salisbury, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18171) Cascade, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. The first locality is 1,000 feet in altitude, the second, near Dorrigo, 3,000 feet. Lechriodus was proposed by Boulenger to replace Batrachopsis Boulenger, preoccupied by Batrachopsis Fitzinger. The other species of the genus inhabits western New Guinea. Noble has transferred Lechriodus from the Pelobatidae to Criniinae, which he regards as a subfamily of Bufonidae. Andersson has recorded ^eteAeri from New Guinea. Except that the first finger may be slightly shorter than the second loveridge: Australian amphibia 23 (instead of equal), these frogs agree so closely with the original specific (not generic) description oi fletcheri that further comment is unneces- sary. The dilated second finger of the female resembles that of a Limnodynastes. The larger female (No. 18171) measures 50 ram.; the type was only 33 mm. Adelotus brevis (Giinther) Cryptotis brevis Giinther, 1863, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), 11, p. 27, pi. iv, figi B: Clarence River, New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 1933) Clarence River, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mas.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 3589) Nambucca River, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 3590) Lismore, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. Adelotus was proposed by Ogilby (1907, p. 32) to replace Cryptotis Giinther, 1863, preoccupied by Cryptotis Dana, 1852. I might point out that a still earlier use of the name occurs when it was proposed by Pomel in 1848. This distinctive species is not likely to be confused with any other. The largest specimen (No. 3590) measures 40 mm. Crinia georgiana Tschudi Crinia georgiana Tschudi, 1838, Classif. Batr., p. 78. Cystignathus georgianus Dumeril & Bibron, 1841, Erpet. Gen., 8, p. 416: King George's Sound, Nuyts coast, (South) Western Australia. 3 (M. C. Z. 18393-5) Lesmurdie, W. A. (G. E. NichoUs) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18396-7) Swan View, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 8 (M. C. Z. 18398-405) Rottnest Id., W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18406-7) Margaret River, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 8 (M. C. Z. 18408-11) Pemberton, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. These frogs agree in possessing two metatarsal tubercles (Dumeril & Bibron state that there is a single metatarsal tubercle, but their description fits these specimens rather than leai Fletcher or its eastern allies; the type of georgianus. should be reexamined, however). It will be noted that both leai and georgiana occur at Margaret River and at Pemberton. The tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches the temple; tympanum hidden; vomerine teeth present; back with a few scattered warts and raised, undulating, glandular folds, the principal pair, lyre-shaped, proceeding from the eyelids backwards to lie along either side of the vertebral line; below, strongly granular. Breeding males with strongly swollen forearms and black throats, rest 24 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology of the series white below, usually flecked with dark spots, sometimes immaculate. The largest male measures 32 mm., and female, 35 mm. The Rottnest series are mostly young with tails, those that have lost them measuring 11.5 mm. Crinia glauerti Loveridge Crinia glauerti Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston See. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 57: Mundaring Weir, near Perth, Western Australia. 5 (M. C. Z. 18420-2) Mundaring Weir, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. These are the types of what may be regarded as a miniature form of georgiana. A breeding cf of glminii, with swollen arms and black throat, measures 15.5 mm. as against 32 mm. in georgiana; similarly a gravid 9 measures 20.5 mm. as against 35 mm. Crinia signifera signifera (Girard) Ranidella signifera Girard, 1853, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 6, pp. 421-422: Australia. Crinia stictiventris Cope, 1867, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. (2), 6, p. 202: Australia. 1 (M. C. Z. 877) New South Wales (Gottingen Mus.) N. D. 1 (M. C. Z. 1938) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 2 (M. C. Z. 3521-2) New South Wales (T. Steel) 1914. 2 (M. C. Z. 18412-3) Megalong Valley, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18506) Blackheath, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18507) Canberra, F. C. T. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. . 1 (M. C. Z. 19225) Near National Park, T. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. 1 (M. C. Z. 19334) Launceston, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 7 (M. C. Z. 19593-9) Wilpena, S. A. (H. M. Hale) 1921. Wilpena is in the North Flinders Range. Through the courtesy of the Director of the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, I have had the opportunity of examining two frogs (A.X.S.P. 10059-60) which may well be Girard's types (he does not say if he had more than one) of signifera. They do not correspond to Cope's descriptions of the cT and 9 cotypes of stictiventris; the latter should be in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology but are not, neither has search for them in the Philadelphia Academy brought them to light. loveridge: Australian amphibia 25 Our series listed above agree in possessing two metatarsal tubercles; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches the shoulder or the temple; tympanum hidden; vomerine teeth absent; back with prominent, lyre-shaped, dorsal plicae and small warts, except when macerated; below, granular or areolate; toes with a narrow fringe which may be masked by preservation. Above, with an arrow-shaped interorbital mark, dorsal markings and lateral bands; below, white, so heavily overlaid with brown or black as to be con- cealed except for a sprinkling of fine spots on the throat and some- times a large patch in the centre of the belly. The largest specimen, a female (No. 877) measures 24 mm. The coloration of the ventral surfaces of Numbers 877 and 1938 is identical with that of Numbers 3523, 17999 and 18415 which are referred to C. a. hastcelli on account of their different dorsal coloring and smooth backs. Crinia signifera ignita Cope Crinia ignita Cope, 1866, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. (2), 6, p. 95: Western Australia. Crinia stolata Cope, 1867, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. (2), 6, p. 201 : Western Australia. 1 (M. C. Z. 1937) Australia (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 15 (M. C. Z. 12993-7) Denmark, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 46 (M. C. Z. 13000-5) Augusta, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 10 (M. C. Z. 13006-10) Mouth of Denmark R., W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 56 (M. C. Z. 13011-5) Manjimup, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 1 (M. C. Z. 13016) Balcatta Beach, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 1 (M. C. Z. 18508) Margaret River, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. Boulenger (1882, p. 264) referred ignita with a query, to the synony- my of C. georgiana and treated stolata as a "var." of the same species. Recently, through the kindness of the Director of the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, and Dr. E. R. Dunn, I have had the opportunity of examining the types of both ignita (A.N.S.P. 10058) and stolata (A.N.S.P. 10061) and find them to be but color variants of one and the same species which I consider the western representative of signifera (Girard). Unfortunately ignita must take precedence over the better known stolata. Both types were received from the same collector — Daniels. 26 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Number 1937 was received as georgiana Tschudi; one would have expected this Gottingen specimen to have come from the vicinity of Sydney Hke so much of their material. It has, however, the white ventral surface and lacks the fringe on the toes, which shows that it is a western frog. This race is very variable in coloration. A common type has been admirably figured by Fry (1914, pi. xxviii, fig. 1) under the name of Crinia georgiana var. stolata. Though the undersurface is often flecked with brown, it never (at least so far as our extensive series shows) exhibits the customary heavy marbling of the typical form. Should occasional specimens with heavy marbling occur, I scarcely think it would invalidate this treatment of ignita as a western race. A young frog in the Denmark series has numerous supernumerary metatarsal and tarsal tubercles, in all the rest only two metatarsal tubercles are present. The largest specimen (No. 13015) measures 33 mm.; many of the series are young. In his Contribution to the Fauna of Rottnest Island, Mr. L. Glauert (1929, p. 44) records C. signifera whereas our material from the island agrees with georgiana. I wrote to Mr. Glauert on this point and he replied (19. v. 1933) "So far as the Rottnest forms are concerned I see no reason for removing them from signifera and including them in georgiana. None of the specimens had red on the thighs whilst the markings did not seem to agree with those that I associated with georgiana.'^ From this absence of red I feel certain that Mr. Glauert's specimens were not C. sigmfera ignita but what I understand as georgiana. Of the four species of Amphibia recorded from the island by Glauert, the Harvard Expedition failed to get Livinodynastes dorsalis dorsalis; his Helioporus alhopundatus must now be referred to the recently described H. insularis. Crinia affinis affinis (Giinther) Pterophrynus affinis Giinther, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 47, pi. vii, fig. 2: Western Australia. 5 (M. C. Z. 18426-30) Near Denmark, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 11 (M. C. Z. 18431-35) Manjimup, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 20 (M. C. Z. 18436-50) Augusta, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. I confess to being considerably puzzled by the status of this frog which Boulenger treated as a race of georgiana. It will be noted that what I call affinis occurs in the same localities and at the same time loveridge: Australian amphibia 27 with C. signifera ignita Cope. Our affinis consistently differ from ignita, however, in being perfectly smooth above and without a trace of the characteristic lyre-shaped, dorsal plicae of ignita. Moreover in coloring the affinis are almost uniform gray or pale brown above though occasionally there may be a trace of a vertebral line; there is none of the fantastic pattern which is present on the back of ignita. Sensing the possibility that these differences were of a sexual char- acter, adults of both ignita and affinis, as well as their counterparts signifera and haswelli, were examined and representatives of both sexes found in each of the first three groups. It does not seem rational to treat affinis and haswelli as merely color mutants of ignita and signifera in view of the absence of glandular folds and warts which constitute a second character. Their distribution precludes their being treated as geographical races of ignita, or rather signifera. It seems that they must be treated as a species and subspecies apart. These frogs agree in possessing two metatarsal tubercles; the tibio- tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the temple or eye; tympanum hidden; vomerine teeth present but indistinct; back smooth; throat and belly strongly granular. Above, back usually uniformly gray or pale brown, only very rarely with a few flecks of brown, occasionally a hair-like, light, vertebral line; a black lateral line (often interrupted above the arm) ; below, throat and belly white, sometimes (one third of the specimens) flecked with brown; rose on thighs. The largest specimen (No. 18426) measures 27 mm. Crinia affinis haswelli Fletcher Crinia haswelli Fletcher, 1894, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2), 8, p. 522: Near head of Jervis Bay, New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 3523) New South Wales (T. Steel) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 17999) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 18415) Salisbury, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18509) Hartley Vale, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 9 (M. C. Z. 19584-92) Third Creek, Magill, S. A. (Tepper) 1885. These differ from Fletcher's description only in the absence of vo- merine teeth, but it has been established that their presence or absence in the genus Crinia is not of specific importance. Fletcher (1894, p. 523) has stated that they are both present and absent in his type series of froggatti. 28 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology In this connection I would direct the attention of AustraUan herpetologists to the general absence of vomerine teeth in southeast Austrahan Crinia, their presence in the southwestern forms, and to Mr. H. W. Parker's (1930, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pp. 1-2) interest- ing comments on the absence of vomerine teeth in Ethiopian amphibia and its possible connection with the alkaline, calcium-deficient waters, of that region. It should be noted that No. 3523 was associated with C. s. signifera Nos. 3521-2, and that No. 17999 was formerly psiTtoi signifera No ^ 1938, two frogs being registered under that number. These haswelli differ from signifera by their smooth backs, absence of dorsal plicae and warts, and by their color which resembles that of affinis. They differ from the western affinis in possessing fringed toes and in the heavy mottling of their underside, the coloration of the latter being indistinguishable from that oi signifera. It will be seen therefore that haswelli differs from affinis in precisely the same way that signifera differs from ignita. These frogs agree in possessing two metatarsal tubercles; the tibio- tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the shoulder or temple; tympanum hidden; vomerine teeth absent; back smooth;: throat and belly granular or areolate. Above, back gray; a black or brown lateral line; below, white, so heavily overlaid with brown or black as to be concealed except for a sprinkling of fine spots on the throat and a large patch in the centre of the belly. The largest of these three females (No. 18415) measures 63 mm. Crinia TASMANiENSis(Gunther) Pterophrynus tasmaniensis Giinther, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 48^, pi. vii, fig. 3: Tasmania. 10 (M. C. Z. 19240-9) Cradle Valley, T. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. These are part of the series referred to by Blanchard (1929, p. 324) who rediscovered the species after a lapse of sixty-four years. The females differ in ventral coloration from Giinther's colored figure in having the lower surfaces white with a few large black vermiculations. Parker (in Blanchard, 1929, p. 328) has commented on these differ- ences. The males approximate the plate in that the white of the ventral surface is almost obscured by the black. Larger male measures- 17 mm.; largest female, 30 mm. loveridge: Australian amphibia 29 Crinia laevis laevis (Giinther) Pterophrynus laevis Giinther, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 48, pi. vii, fig. 4: Tasmania. 6 (M. C. Z. 19226-31) Wilmot, T. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. 1 (M. C. Z. 19331) Tasmania, (T. M. S. English) 1901-3. 1 (M. C. Z. 19335) Dunorlan, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. These topotypes are smooth above and below; usually without, though rarely with, faintly developed metatarsal tubercles; the tibio- tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to, or just beyond, or just short of, the axilla; vomerine teeth absent. Light spots on a black ground in groin. Largest 9 measures 29 mm. Crinia laevis froggatti Fletcher Crinia froggatti Fletcher, 1891, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 6, p. 275: Buninyong and Gong Gong, near Ballarat, Victoria. 8 (M. C. Z. 19232-9) Healesville, V. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. Though Healesville is much nearer to Warragul (which is type locality of victorina Boulenger, 1888) than to Ballarat, these frogs agree rather with froggatti than with victorina. Boulenger (1888, p. 142) noted that the vomerine teeth were very small in his species and this caused Fletcher (1894, p. 523) to reexamine his type series and find that teeth were both present and absent in the types. He concludes that froggatti is only a "variety" of laevis with which I agree in a sub- specific sense. Blanchard (1929, p. 328) discusses the differences. Largest 9 measures 25 mm. Crinia darlingtoni Loveridge Crinia darlingtoni Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 57: National Park, MacPherson Range, Queensland. 3 (M. C. Z. 18390-2) National Park, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. These are the types of a Crinia which is distinguished from all other members of the genus by the rudimentary nature of the first finger and the very minute first toe. In coloration some specimens agree closely with C. acutirostris Andersson. 30 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Crinia acutirostris Andersson Crinia acutirostris Andersson, 1916, Svenska. Vetensk.-Akad. Hand!., Stock- holm, 52, No. 9, p. 8, fig. 2, pi. i: Maianda, Queensland. 1 (M. C. Z. 18416) Mt. Spurgeon, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. This interesting discovery of Dr. Mjoberg's extended the range of the genus on the continent considerably to the north, Dr. DarHngton's capture still more so, for Mount Spurgeon is seventy miles north of the type locality. The broad, ribbon-like, interorbital vertebral band resembles that of leai Fletcher, a species to which acutirostris would appear to be re- lated by its single metatarsal tubercle, though differing in a much broader snout; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the posterior corner of the eye ; tympanum just distinguish- able; vomerine teeth absent; back and belly smooth. Length 21 mm. Crinia leai Fletcher Crinia leai Fletcher, 1897, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 22, p. 677: Bridgetown and Jarrahdale, Western Australia. Crinia michaelseni Werner, 1914, in Michaelsen & Hartmeyer's Fauna Siid- west-Australien, 4, p. 416: Donnybrook, Western Australia. 15 (M. C. Z. 12998-9) Manjimup, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 4 (M. C. Z. 18451-4) Denmark, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 36 (M. C. Z. 18455-64) Near Denmark River, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 51 (M. C. Z. 18465-75) Augusta, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 1 (M. C. Z. 18476) Margaret River, W. A. (W. E. Schevill) 1931. 3 (M. C. Z. 18477-9) Pemberton, W. A. (W. E. Schevill) 1931. This perfectly distinct frog appears to be the western representative of varius Peters, 1863, of Adelaide, South Australia, a species which Boulenger discarded as he considered it a composite. I have not seen any specimens. Crinia rosea Harrison Crinia rosea Harrison, 1928, Rec. Austral. Mus. Sydney, 16, p. 278: Pemberton, Karri Country, 218 miles south of Perth, Western Australia. 3 (M. C. Z. 18417-9) Pemberton, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. Closely related to leai Fletcher but distinguished by the absence of any metatarsal tubercles and the shorter hind limb, for the tibio-tarsal loveridge: Australian amphibia 31 articulation of the adpressed limb reaches to the axilla (in our Pember- ton georgiana and leai, far beyond): back and belly smooth. No lateral band; thighs not vermilion; rose on throat still showing a year after preservation; while lower surface dusky owing to fine freckling only observable with the aid of a lens. The largest specimen (No. 18417) measures 25 mm. In life, "Back variegated dark brown; throat and belly vermilion; a few small, scattered, vermilion spots on underside of legs." (W. E. S.) Uperoleia marmorata rugosa Andersson Pseudophryne rugosa Andersson, 1916, Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. Handl., Stock- holm, 52, No. 9, p. 13, pi. i, fig. 4: Colosseum, southern Queensland. Pseudophryne fimbrianus Parker, 1926, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (9), 17, p. 669, fig. 3: St. George district, southern Queensland. 1 (M. C. Z. 395) Australia (No further history) N. D. 2 (M. C. Z. 878, 1931) New South Wales (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 2 (M. C. Z. 2559) Queensland (? H. A. Ward) 1909. Uperoleia only differs from Pseudophryne according to Boulenger, in its erect pupil. This character can be seen in all our specimens ex- cept No. 395 which is too dried. The pupil tends to be diamond shaped but compressed laterally. Harrison (1927, p. 284) has suggested the possibility of Pseudo- phryne mjobergii Andersson, 1913, from Noonkambah, Kimberley Division, Western Australia, being synonymous with marmorata. However, Andersson stresses the fact that both his male and female types possess a tarsal tubercle as well as two metatarsal tubercles. As neither marmorata nor any Pseudophryne possess this character I prefer to regard mjobergii as distinct though it certainly appears to be very similar to marmorata. All agree in having a light patch on the hind arm near the shoulder, another in the groin and a third on the hinder side of the tibia, in which respect they show their affinity to Pseudophryne albifrons Dumeril & Bibron. The longest toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches just beyond the tip of the snout (Queensland) or far beyond (New South Wales). The largest specimen (No. 2559) measures 26 mm. Pseudophryne australis (Gray) Bomhinator australis Gray, 1835, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 3, p. 57: Swan River, Western Australia. 32 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Pseudophryne australis Stirling & Zietz, 1893, Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Austral., Adelaide, 16, p. 176: (Forty miles northwest of the Fraser Range, West- ern Australia). 41 (M. C. Z. 18301-25) Burara, s. of Kalgoorlie, W. A. (G. E. N.) 1931. For discussion on the status of this species see under P. albifrons (Dumeril & Bibron) following. The Burara specimens, received from Prof. G. E. Nicholls, have the coloring of P. albifrons of Sydney though much fainter; on the belly white (yellow ?) predominates instead of black as is the case with albifrons. In this they resemble P. guentheri but differ from that species in their much smaller tubercles. Fry (in Harrison, 1927, p. 282, fig. 1) has figured them under the name of guentheri. Tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the eye or the nostril. The largest specimen, a female, measures 33 mm. Pseudophryne albifrons (Dumeril & Bibron) Phryniscus albifrons Dumeril & Bibron, 1854, Erpet. Gen., 9, p. 413, pi. c, fig. 3: No type locality mentioned. 1 (M. C. Z. 875) New South Wales (Gottingen Mus.) N. D. 2 (M. C. Z. 1932) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 2250) Gosford, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. All the above were received as australis, a western species which Boulenger (1882, p. 277) confused with albifrons. As a result we meet with the continued assertion that "australis" only occurs within a seventy mile radius of Sydney and the presumption that Gray was in error when he stated that his type came from Swan River! Nieden (1923, p. 148) gets over the difficulty in a delightful way by omitting all mention of Swan River and giving the range as New South Wales. No such supposition is necessary, for Australian herpetologists have been confusing true (western) australis with guentheri, though the latter has much larger metatarsal tubercles. Fry (in Harrison, 1927, p. 282) figures three perfectly distinct species as variations of guentheri. Thus Fig. 1 represents P. australis (Gray) "2 " P. brooksi Loveridge " 3 " P. guentheri Boulenger so far as I can judge without actual examination of the material. LOVERIDGE : AUSTRALIAN AMPHIBIA 33 PSEUDOPHRYNE BLANCHARDI Loveridge Pseudophryne hlanchardi Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 91 : Millgrove, Victoria. c? 9 (M. C. Z. 19259-60) Millgrove, V. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. These are type and paratype of a species characterized by the ab- sence of a white or light frontal area, also limb length. An extensive series of paratypes is in Dr. Blanchard's collection. In addition I have examined a series of ten toads from Healesville, Victoria which are not quite typical. They differ in not having the whole of the throat white and in possessing a pigmented circumanal area on the hinder aspect of the thighs. Pseudophryne bibronii Steindachner Pseudophryne bibronii Steindachner, 1867, Reise Oesterr. Freg. Novara. Amphib., p. 34, pi. v, figs. 1 and 2: Australia and Tasmania. 3 (M. C. Z. 881, 1930) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 4 (M. C. Z. 19336-8) St. Patrick's River, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 2 (M. C. Z. 19581-2) Torrens River, S. A. (A. Zeitz) 1905. Uniformly brown or olive above except for a light patch on the hind arm near the shoulder; below, handsomely marbled; tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the eye or just beyond. The largest specimen (No. 19581) measures 30 mm. All three frogs are infested with larvae of the fly Batrachomyia. Pseudophryne coriacea Keferstein Pseudophryne coriacea Keferstein, 1868, Arch. Naturg., p. 272, pi. vi, fig. 15: Clarence River, New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 1941) Clarence River, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 3 (M. C. Z. 18220-2) Salisbury, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. In our cotype, as well as in two adults from Salisbury, the pale brown upper surface is sharply defined from the black of the sides and belly; the latter is marbled with lighter in a very characteristic man- ner; a young toad shows no such differentiation of dorsal and lateral pigmentation, being uniformly plumbeus both above and on the sides but with a light, inverted, T-shaped markijig above the anus as in 34 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology dendyi. The tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the nostril or beyond the end of the snout. The largest specimen (No. 18220) measures 29 mm. PSEUDOPHRYNE DENDYI Lucas Pseudophryne dendyi Lucas, 1892, Proc. Roj'. Soc. Victoria (2), 4, p. 62: North Gippsland, Victoria. 2 (M. C. Z. 18223-4) Daner's Gap, N. S. W. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18225) Digger's Creek, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18414) Megalong Valley, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 6 (M. C. Z. 18510-5) Hartley Vale, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. The first two localities are on Mt. Kosciusko, the last two in the Blue Mountains. According to Harrison (1927, p. 268) the unique 15 mm. holotype of dendyi. is lost; that the specimens listed above are conspecific with it there can be no manner of doubt, but whether dendyi is distinct from bibronii I cannot be so sure as our material of the latter is very old and inadequate. Undoubtedly dendyi is nearly related to coriacea also. Mt. Kosciusko is not far from the type locality of dendyi. Our frogs agree in having a light patch on the hind arm near the shoulder; most of them display the inverted, T-shaped marking above the anus (as in australis and coriacea) but in others, including the adult, it is absent; tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the shoulder or more often to the eye. Young specimens so closely resemble the young coriacea from Salisbury that they can only be distinguished by the shorter hind limb. The largest specimen (No. 18225) measures 32 mm. Of the Digger's Creek specimen Darlington writes: "When dis- turbed, this toad so hunched itself that the yellow markings at the shoulder and rear were prominently displayed. It threw its elbows outwards." (P. J. D.) Pseudophryne semimarmorata Lucas Pseudophryne semimarmorata Lucas, 1892, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria (2), 4, p. 63: North Gippsland, Victoria. 87 (M. C. Z. 18226-50) s. of Etheridge Range, N. S. W. (W. E. S.) 1932. 36 (M. C. Z. 18251-75) Daner's Gap, N. S. W. (W. E. Schevill) 1932. loveridge: Australian amphibia 35 Both these localities are on Mt. Kosciusko, the altitudes being 6,500 and 5,400 feet respectively, and are near the type locality of semimar- morata. Uniformly black above without light spot on hind arm, anus, or hinder side of tibia, very rarely an ill-defined light spot on the groin ; the tarso-metatarsal joint of the adpressed hind limb reaches the eye, the tip of the fourth toe well beyond the end of the snout. The largest specimens from each locality measure 30 and 28 mm. respectively but each series contains many juveniles measuring 12 mm. or thereabouts. "These toads were taken where the snow water had spread out into shallow, still pools and then been appreciably warmed by the sun; usually in places with dark bottom, not on sand. Occasionally the toads were found under stones in the water. A pair of toads were taken in embrace. Some of them had been laying eggs and many tad- poles of various sizes were seen in the shallow pools. There were, however, two sizes of eggs, one of which may have belonged to the frogs {Hyla ewingii alpina). A number of semidecayed frogs were lying about, even in the pools in which only toads were seen; these were larger than any taken in the pools, though not so large as (No. 18055 -4() mm.)." (W. E. S.). PsEUDOPHRYNE BROOKsi Loveridge Pseudophryne hrooksi Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston See. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 59: Manjimup, near Pemberton, West Australia. 10 (M. C. Z. 13025-31) Manjimup, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 6 (M. C. Z. 17992-7) Margaret River, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. The Manjimup specimens constitute the type series. The six toads from the nearby Margaret River are all very young, 12 to 15 mm.; consequently their identification with hrooksi may be accepted with reservation. They appear to be that Species rather than ?i?c/zo//si with examples of which they have been compared. Pseudophryne nichollsi Harrison Pseudophryne nichollsi Harrison, 1928, Rec. Austral. Mus. Sydney, 15, p. 284: Pemberton, Western Australia. Pseudophryne bihronii Barbour & Loveridge (not of Steindachner), 1929, Copeia, p. 449: (Note on breeding habits). 36 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology 47 (M. C. Z. 13019-24) Augusta, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 2 & ova (M. C. Z. 13032-34) Warren River, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 19 (M. C. Z. 13097-110) Manjimup, W. A. (W. S. Brooks) 1927. 44 (M. C. Z. 18276-300) Pemberton, W.cA. (W. E. Schevill) 1931. The Pemberton series are topotypes of this distinct Kttle toad which agrees with semimarmorata in the absence of Hght spots on the hind arms, groin, or anal region ; there are, however, a pair of white spots on the breast, another pair at the junction of the thigh and tibia, and on the upper surface of the foot, these appear to be almost invariably present but in ten young Augusta frogs those on the breast are absent. The tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb reaches to the temple or the eye. The largest specimen (No. 18276) measures 25 mm. Of the topotype series Mr. Schevill has noted: "Taken in karri forest, near Pemberton, November, 1931. Generally found under logs or stones, but always in moist places, frequently in nests of My- rinecia; when disturbed, habitually lay on back, exhibiting the brightly colored underparts, conspicuous with their patches of brilliant yellow and dark blue." PSEUDOPHRYNE GUENTHERI Boulcnger Pseudophryne guentheri Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., p. 279, pi. xviii, fig. 2: Swan River, Western Australia. 39 (M. C. Z. 18326-50) Bruce Rock, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1931. 1 (M. C. Z. 18351) Dalgaranger Station, W. A. (G. E. N.) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18352-3) Pindawa, near Canna, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 8 (M. C. Z. 18354-61) Mullewa, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. Dalgaranger Stn. is some fifty miles N. E. of Yalgoo. Por remarks on this species see also P. australis and P. brooksi which have for long been confused with it. None of the above has a tarsal tubercle in addition to the pair of huge metatarsal tubercles; one (No. 18326) indeed has two super- numerary tarsal tubercles on the left leg only, the right being normal. I attribute this condition to injury or disease and regard P. mjobergii Andersson as distinct. I have no material of typical western Uperoleia marmorata with which Harrison (1927, p. 284) thinks it may be synonymous. In the thirty -nine specimens from Bruce Rocks the tip of the fourth toe of the adpressed hind limb only varies from reaching to the pos- terior or anterior border of the eye in females, the nostril in males; in loveridge: Australian amphibia 37 the Dalgaranger toad to the temple ; in the adult female from Pindawa to the shoulder, in the young to the eye; in two female adults from Mullewa to the shoulder or temple, in five young to eye or nostril. The snouts of the Pindawa and Mullewa toads appear to be much more acuminate than the rest of the series, whether this is illusory or whether they represent a distinct race I hesitate to say. The largest females from the Bruce Rock measure 34 mm. Glauertia russelli Loveridge (See Plate, figs. 1-3) Glauertia russelli Loveridge, 1933, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8, p. 89: Creek near Gascoyne River, Landor Station, Western Australia. 6 (M. C. Z. 19424-9) Mr. Gascoyne R., W. A. (L. Glauert) 1933. These paratypes are of a genus and species of web-footed, myrme- cophagous, rather Brevicipitid-like toads allied to Pseudophryne. NOTADEN BENNETTI Gunthcr Notaden bennetti Gi'mther, 1873, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), 11, p. 349: Castle- reagh River, New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 3607) Moree, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. This single specimen of the Holy Cross Toad measures 38 mm. Myobatrachus gouldii (Gray) Breviceps gouldii Gray, 1841, in Grey's Journ. Exped. Discov. Western Aus- tralia, 2, p. 448, pi. i, fig. 1 : Western Australia. 4 (M. C. Z. 18362-5) Near Perth, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1931. Of these four topotypes, the largest (No. 18362) measures 36 mm. HYLIDAE Hyla gracilenta Peters Hyla gracilenta Peters, 1870, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1869 (1870), p. 789: Port Mackay, Queensland. Garman, 1901, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 39, p. 14. Hyla luteiventris Ogilby, 1907, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., 20, p. 31: Brisbane, Queensland. 38 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology 1 (M. C. Z. 2318) Cooktown, Q. (E. A. C. Olive) 1896. 2 (M. C. Z. 2762) Mossman, Q. (J. C. Kershaw) 1912. 1 (M. C. Z. 18001) Lankelly Creek, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18487) Lake Barrine, Q. (W. F. Schevill) 1932. //. luteiventris appears to have been described as a result of an in- adequate appreciation of the range of variation of this species and probably a different method of measuring the length of the snout, i.e. from the anterior border of the eye instead of from the nostril. All five specimens differ from Boulenger's (1882, p. 383) description in that the snout (from the nostril) is shorter (not " as long as") the diameter of the orbit, the latter equals the distance from its anterior border to the nostril ; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb reaches from the nostril to just beyond the end of the snout. They all lack the white streak whose presence Boulenger supposed characterized gracilenta and whose absence in the allied chloris Boulen- ger was considered as important by that author. In the frogs from Carrington and Malanda referred to by Andersson (1916, p. 15) the canthal streak was also absent. Fletcher (1893-4, p. 526) has made some useful comments on the status and distribution of chloris. The largest frog (No. 18487) measures 46 mm. "Excepting granular surfaces on under side of thighs and belly, all the granular parts of the skin were bright green ; the remainder, con- cealed when the animal crouched at rest, were bright yellow — a little paler on the belly and throat." (W. E. S.) Hyla dayi Giinther Hyla dayi Giinther, 1897, Novitates Zool., 4, p. 406: Bartle Frere Mountains, Queensland. Hyla krefftii Barbour (not of Giinther), 1914, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 27, p. 202. Hyla tympanocryptis Andersson, 1916, Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. Handl., Stockholm, 52, No. 9, p. 19, pi. i, figs. 7a-e: Malanda, Queensland. 1 (M. C. Z. 4195) Kuranda, Q. (H. L. Clark) 1913. This frog, originally referred to krefftii but with evident misgivings, comes from a locality twenty miles inland from Cairns and less than forty miles from the type localities of both dayi and tympanocryptis. The vomerine teeth extend further forward between the choanae than shown in Andersson's figure; the position of these teeth help to differentiate dayi from gracilenta for in our specimens of the latter the loveridge: Australian amphibia 39 vomers lie between the choanae. The only character in which tympano- cri/ptis appears to differ from dayi is in its finely granular surface of the dorsal skin. Our Kuranda frog agrees with Andersson's in pos- sessing this granular surface, and I suggest that the type of dayi had it masked by the state of preservation which caused Giinther to de- scribe it as "smooth above." The tibio-tarsal articulation of the ad- pressed hind limb extends beyond the end of the snout. Total length 30 mm. The relationship between H. dayi and Boulenger's H. fallax from New Guinea is very close and would appear worthy of investigation. Hyla caerulea (Shaw) Rana caerulea Shaw, 1790, in White's Journ. Voy. N. S. Wales, App., p. 248, pi. New South Wales (presumably, not stated). Hyla irrorata De Vis, 1884, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queens!., 1, p. 128: Gympie, Queensland. Hyla gilleni Spencer, 1896, in Rep. Horn Sci. Exped., 2, p. 173, pi. xv, figs. 14-17: Alice Springs, Central Australia. Hyla caerulea Garman, 1901, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 39, p. 14. Barbour, 1914, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 27, p. 201. 4 (M. C. Z. 874, 1926) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 2316) Port Bowen, Q. (Dr. Woodworth) 1896. 3 (M. C. Z. 2529-31) Mer Id., Torres Straits (H. L. Clark) 1913. 1 (M. C. Z. 3701) Brisbane, Q. (Queensland Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 18002) Townsville, Q. (Dr. Woodworth) 1896. 1 (M. C. Z. 18003) Darwin, N. T. (J. Litchfield) 1929. 2 (M. C. Z. 18004-5) Burnett River, Q. (T. L. Bancroft) 1932. 11 (M. C. Z. 18006-15) MacPherson Range, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 5 (M. C. Z. 18016-20) Coen, Cape York, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18488) Towri Stn., nr. Richmond, Q. (W. E. Schevill) 1932: I follow Fry (1912, p. 100) in referring irrorata to the synonymy of caerulea. The light spots at the angle of the mouth which Fry could not find in his material are present in some of our Queensland series though definitely this species and not infrafrenata. De Vis' type was evidently a juvenile measuring "32 Hues." H. gilleni Spencer is so obviously specifically identical with irrorata as to stand or fall with that species. It is interesting to note, however, that De Vis states of his irrorata that the digital disks are two-fifths the diameter of the tympanum, while Spencer states of gilleni that they are half to two- thirds. The figure of the latter, however, shows some disks as large 40 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology as the tympanum and it may be postulated that some are contracted from immersion in the spirit of which he writes. In our series the fingers are from a third to half webbed, even in the Sydney specimens which may be considered topotypes, but rather less in the Mer Island frogs; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb marks the tympanum or the eye; I fail to discern the "dis- tinct parotid" mentioned by Boulenger (1882, p. 346). Lateral white spots are absent in all except the large Coen frog, a white line along the heel appears to be largely a juvenile character being present in the young and absent in the adults from Sydney, MacPherson Range, and Merauke, New Guinea; they may, however, persist in adults at Port Bowen and Coen. Dr. H. L. Clark supplies the following information as to the color in life of the frog from Darwin. "Above, bright green with a tendency to yellow on the upper surface of ankles and feet. Below, breast white, becoming greenish on chin and lower lip but reddish violet posteriorly and on the inner surface of the thighs; soles of hands and feet red violet; inner and outer portions of the inner (lower) surface of tibia yellow. Taken at Myilly Point, Darwin, 30. vi. 1929." (H. L. C.) The largest specimens (M. C. Z. 18003, 18016) measure 81 mm. but are surpassed by a New Guinea frog (No. 12151) measuring 86 mm. The Coen frogs were "Found in rain gutters during the day; squat- ting on verandah rails and fence posts at night." (P. J. D.) The Towri specimen "in a bore drain." (W. E. S.) Hyla eucnemis Lonnberg Hyla eucnemis Lonnberg, 1900, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (7), 6, p. 579: Sattelberg, 800 metres, New Guinea. Hyla serrata Andersson, 1916, Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. Stockholm, 52, No. 9, p. 17, pi. i, fig. 6: Carrington; Malanda and Atherton, Queensland. 1 (M. C. Z. 18021) Lankelly Creek, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18022) Rocky Scrub, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 6 (M. C. Z. 18023-8) Miilaa Millaa, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 22 (M. C. Z. 18029-39) Mt. Spurgeon, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. The first two localities are in the Mcllwraith Range, the third on the Atherton Tableland. The series from Mt. Spurgeon were taken be- tween three and four thousand feet. "On the solid stone walls of a long tunnel made by miners to deflect a stream; a very damp, cool, and dark habitat." (P. J. D.) loveridge: Australian amphibia 41 Second and fourth fingers webbed to the disks; toes fully webbed; a serrated fringe along the hinder edge of forearm and foot characterize this frog so well figured by Andersson. That serrata is a synonym of eucneviis I have no doubt. The largest specimen (No. 18029) measures 81 mm. and is, therefore, by far the finest example recorded. Hyla peronii (Tschudi) Dendrohyas peronii Tschudi, 1838, Classif. Batr., p. 75: New Holland (i.e. Australia). Hyla rothi De Vis, 1884, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 9, p. 66: Mackay, Queens- land. 2 (M. C. Z. 1602) Melbourne, V. (Prof. F. Muller) N. D. 1 (M. C. Z. 1928) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 3587) Woonoona, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 3588) Eidsvold, Q. (Australian Mus.) 1914. Woonoona is near BuUi. The series appears to be quite typical. The largest specimen (No. 3587) measures 56 mm. Hyla bicolor (Gray) Eucnemis bicolor Gray, 1842, Zool. Miscellany, p. 57: Port Essington, Northern Territory. Hylella bicolor Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., p. 421. 2 (M. C. Z. 3625-6) Nambucca, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 18489) Bellenden Ker Range, Q. (W. E. SchevUl) 1932. Noble (1931, p. 508) has pointed out the polyphyletic nature of the assemblage of frogs grouped under Hylella on account of the loss of vomerine teeth. In view of the recent accumulation of information as regards the value of this character which in other genera, such as Crinia, is not even of specific importance (not to mention several African genera where vomerine teeth are present or absent) it is clear that Hylella can no longer be maintained. It is of interest to note that the alcohol-preserved frogs are smooth above, even under a strong lens, while the formalin-preserved specimen is strongly granular above. The larger specimens (Nos. 3625 and 18489) measure 26 mm. 42 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology Hyla phyllochroa Giinther Hyla 'phyllochroa Giinther, 1863, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 251, pi. xxx, fig. C: Sydney and Errumanga, New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 3608) Woodford, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 18040) Gorge, Hornsby, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. 1 (M. C. Z. 18526) Blackheath, N. S. W. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 19253) National Park, Q. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. Woodford and Blackheath are both in the Blue Mountains, the latter at an altitude of about 3,000 feet. The largest specimen (No. 3608) measures 41 mm. Hyla rubella Gray ■ Hyla rubella Gray, 1842, Zool. Miscellany, p. 57: Port Essington, Northern Territory. 2 (M. C. Z. 3596-7) Eidsvold, Burnett R., Q. (Austral. Mus.) 1914. 4 (M. C. Z. 18041-4) Whin Creek, Roeburne, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18045-6) Gascoyne, W. A. (G. E. Nicholls) 1931. 1 (M. C. Z. 18047) Meekatharra, W. A. (Harvard Exped.) 1931. 3 (M. C. Z. 18048-50) Yandil, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. 2 (M. C. Z. 18051-2) Lake Barrine, Q. (P. J. Darlington) 1932. 1 (M. C. Z. 18053) near Geraldton, W. A. (P. J. Darlington) 1931. The vomerine teeth are constantly posterior to the choanae; in formalin preserved specimens it will be seen that the fifth toe is actually webbed to the base of the disk, a condition which is apt to be masked in alcohol -preserved frogs; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb marks the axilla or tympanum. The largest specimen (No. 18051) measures 36 mm. "The frogs from Yandil, near Wiluna, were taken under stones, beside a waterhole, in a creek bed." (P. J. D.) Hyla dent at a Keferstein Hyla dentata Keferstein, 1868, Nachr. Ges. Gottingen, p. 329: New South Wales. 2 (M. C. Z. 876, 1934) Sydney, N. S. W. (Gottingen Mus.) 1885. 1 (M. C. Z. 3609) Near Bulh, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. lovekidge: Australian amphibia 43 Keferstein's type material consisted of a single frog collected by Dr. Schuette so that though No. 876 was received prior to 1885 it is not a cotype. Moreover both specimens were received as H. krefftii Giinther and are only now correctly identified. In all the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb marks the tympanum or the eye. The largest specimen (No. 3609) measures 36 mm. Hyla citropus (Tschudi) Dendrohyas citropa (Peron ms. in) Tschudi, 1838, Classif. Batr., p. 75: Port Jackson, New South Wales. 4 (M. C. Z. 9581-4) Hornsby, N. S. W. (W. H. Rosenberg) 1924. Of these frogs, purchased and presented by Dr. T. Barbour, the largest specimen (No. 9581) measures 54 mm. Mr. W. E. Schevill also collected a pair on the Stanwell Park Creek, N. S. Wales. These formed the subject of a note by Kinghorn (1932, p. 362) on the sexual dichromatism of this species as displayed by living specimens. Hyla parvidens Peters Hyla parvidens Peters, 1874, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 620: Port Phillip, Victoria. 2 (M. C. Z. 9585-6) Botany Bay, N. S. W. (W. F. H. Rosenberg) 1924. These frogs, apparently a male and female, were received from Rosenberg identified as H. krefftii Giinther. They differ from that species, however, in their less conspicuous vomerine teeth, smaller size, and different coloring. It would appear that they cannot be regarded as a race ofjervisiensis, of which I consider krefftii a synonym, on geographical grounds. The outer finger is one third webbed; outer toe webbed to the disk; the digital disks are as large as the tympanum; the tibio-tarsal artic- ulation of the adpressed hind limb marks the eye. Number 9585 is gray, inconspicuously flecked with black above; a brown streak from the nostril through the eye to the tympanum; a white band bordering the upper lip extends to the shoulder; hinder sides of thighs pure white except in the vicinity of the anus. Below, immaculate. The larger specimen (No. 9585), a gravid female, meas- ures 35 mm. 44 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology It may be noted that the type of parvidens measured 33 mm. and was said to be yellowish above. It is probable that this frog has frequently been mistaken for the young of krefftii, for in coloration it closely approximates to Dumeril & Bibron's description of jervisiensis. Hyla jervisiensis Dumeril & Bibron Hyla jervisiensis Dumeril & Bibron, 1841, Erpet. Gen., 8, p. 580: Jervis Bay, New South Wales. Hyla krefftii Gunther, 1863, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), 11, p. 28, pi. iv, fig. C: Sydney, New South Wales. Hyla calliscelis Peters, 1874, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 620: Adelaide, South Australia. 1 (M. C. Z. 369) Australia (No history) N. D. 1 (M. C. Z. 3603) Naroubra, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914. 1 (M. C. Z. 19053) South Australia (Australian Mus.) 1933. 1 (M. C. Z. 19054) Launceston, T. (Australian Mus.) 1933. 59 (M. C. Z. 19339-50) Launceston, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 2 (M. C. Z. 19351-2) Stanley, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 5 (M. C. Z. 19353-7) Franklin, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. Number 369, an old, somewhat soft and faded specimen, has been in the collection for half a century or so under the name of jervisiensis. Number 3603 was received as krefftii. We can be definitely certain that both are conspecific and represent krefftii. Yet No. 369 shows the glandular fold at the corner of the mouth (which characterizes jervisien,sis) very clearly and on turning to the original description of jervisiensis we find that there is nothing but its grey coloration to separate it from krefftii. The type of the former measured 47 mm. and Boulenger gives the length of krefftii also as 47 mm. Fletcher records that he sought for jervisiensis at Jervis Bay but only found krefftii. When a species has been described from such an accessible locality as Jervis Bay and then remains unknown except for the type for nearly a century we are justified in assuming that there is some- thing misleading about the description. I postulate, therefore, that the type of jervisiensis was somewhat faded and relegate krefftii to the synonymy. Anyone questioning this action is referred to the original descriptions and care should be taken to eliminate parvidens and dentata which occur in these regions and are closely allied forms. Boulenger (1882, p. 407) referred certain frogs from King George's Sound, south Western Australia, to calliscelis and made calliscelis a var. of ewingii. Without expressing an opinion as to the identity of loveridge: Australian amphibia 45 these western frogs which may represent a form of jcrvisiensis, our No. 19053 is more nearly topotypic of calliscelis and agrees with the description of that species. Fry (1915, p. 84) professed to separate calliscelis and krefftii as follows: Groin and hinder thigh with accentuated purple blotches. . .calliscelis. Groin and thighs yellowish with faint brown speckles krefftii. By applying this to our material the New South Wales specimens answer to krefftii, the South Australian to calliscelis but the Launceston series, or the Franklin series, show both types and every intergradation between them. If large series could be obtained from South Australia and New South Wales, I imagine that they would confirm my action in synonymising calliscelis. Fletcher (1897, p. 669) followed by Fry (1915, p. 82) regarded krefftii as a 'variety' of ewingii. While fully admitting the very close relationship between the eioingii group and the jervisiensis-parvidens group, I cannot treat jervisiensis as a race of ewingii for reasons of distribution. The outer finger is a quarter to one-third webbed; outer toe webbed to the disk or a little short of the disk; the median digits possess disks as large as the tympanum; the tibio-tarsal articulation marks the orbit, or just anterior to it in a few males, just posterior to it in a few females. A broad, brown, dorsal band of somewhat irregular outline connects the eyelids and extends posteriorly to the anus, sometimes indistinct; a brown streak from the nostril through the eye to the shoulder is bordered above and below by lighter, in the young the lower shows as a silvery -white streak along the upper lip to the base of the forearm, usually less prominent in adults; hinder side of thighs bright yellow (in fresh material) with, or without brown flecks, blotches or streaks; similar blotches usually present on the groin and hinder part of flanks. The largest male (No. 19339) measures 38 mm., largest female (No. 19353) 45 mm. Hyla ewingii ewingii Dumeril & Bibron Hyla ewingii Dumeril & Bibron, 1841, Erpet. Gen., 8, p. 597: Tasmania. 1 (M. C. Z. 19252) National Park, T. (F. N. Blanchard) 1928. 5 (M. C. Z. 19358-62) St. Peter's River, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. 14 (M. C. Z. 19363-9) Dunorlan, T. (E. O. G. Scott) 1933. The outer finger usually with the merest rudiment of web, at most only a quarter webbed; outer toe webbed to the disk or a little short 46 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology of the disk; median digital disks as large as, or slightly smaller than, the tympanum; the tibio-tarsal articulation of the adpressed hind limb marks the orbit or more usually just beyond ; skin of back smooth (in formalin) or with very small, pimple-like warts (in alcohol). Above, grey, forehead to interorbital region lighter, a more or less well-defined silvery streak from the upper lip to the base of the forearm; a broad, brown, dorsal streak from the interorbital region to above the anus; hinder side of thighs uniformly red (in fresh material) or with a few large spots and streaks. Largest male (No. 19358) measures 32 mm., largest female (No. 19252) 37 mm. It will thus be seen that but for a few average differences the only straight-cut characters for separating this species from the preceding is size and the different coloration of the hinder side of the thighs in living material. Hyla ewingii verreauxii Dumeril Hyla verreauxii A. Dumeril, 1853, Ann. des Sci. Nat., p. 171: Australia. Hyla ewingii var. orientalis Fletcher, 1897, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 22, p. 670: New South Wales. 1 (M. C. Z. 3594) Smithfield, N. S. W. (Australian Mus.) 1914.