the upper lip. Eyes rather large, eyebrows prominent and arched ;
tympanum small, circular, and close to the edge of the upper jaw, immediately
over the angle of the mouth. Tongue long, narrow, subovate, and
slightly bifid posteriorly, Fig. 1 a. Palatal teeth in two narrow lines, nearly
united internally, and each externally reaches the edge of the inner nostril.
Fore legs slender, toes rather long and delicate, the second toe considerably
the longest, the outer one longer than the third and fourth which are of
equal length; they are all pointed, and there is a small tubercle under the
first or proximal joint of each. Hinder extremities very long, the thigh
moderately robust and depressed, the leg slender and slightly flattened, the
tarsus subcylindrical and flattened behind; toes very long, slender, and connected
at their base by a short, delicate web, the second toe much the
longest, Fig. 1 c, the outermost about four lines shorter, the third about a line
and a half shorter than the outermost, the fourth about three lines shorter
than the third, and the innermost about two and a half lines shorter than the
fourth, and at the base of the latter there is a slender, conical tubercle.
Length from nose to anus, 1 inch 10 lines; of thigh, 1 inch ; of leg, 1 inch
4 lines * of second toe, 1 inch 6 lines. Skin of head, body, and extremities,
smooth.
This species is widely spread over Southern Africa, hut is never found anywhere in
abundance. It generally inhabits damp localities, and is found among- the grass or underwood
which occurs in such situations. Its motions are rapids and it leaps forcibly and to a
great distance. The individual represented is full grown.
RANA GRAYII.—S m it h .
R e p t il ia .— P l a t e 78.—F ig. 2.—2 a, b, c.
R. subcrassa; palm arum digitis longis gracilibus subpalmatisqne; corpore superne extremitatibusque
maculis brunneo-rubris variatis; lingua lata subovat& pbstice bifidd.
. Longitudo e nasi apice ad anum 1 unc. 9 lin., extremitatunl p'osteriorum 3 unc. 1 lin.
C o l o u r .—The upper surface of the head, the back and the outer sides of
the extremities pale rusty sienna-yellow; the variegations are brownish red
or greyish brown, the edges generally darkest, they consist of a narrow stripe
between eye and nostril, a curved stripe under the eye, an oblique blotch
between hinder angle of eye and base of fore leg, including the tympanum,
two transverse bars between the eyes, the hinder extremity of each prolonged
backwards, a number of spots of different sizes arranged in two or more rows
on the back, two or more narrow transverse bars on anterior part of fore legs,
three on the outer side of the thighs, three towards the posterior side of the
leg, and two or more on the outer side of the tarsus ; the upper lip is also
more or less freckled with brownish red. The sides of the body are pale
cream-yellow, variegated superiorly with a few small light brownish red spots,
inner sides of extremities and under surface of head and body straw-yellow;
hinder surface of thighs light brownish red, freckled with small pale cream-
yellow spots. Tympanum pale brownish red. Toes pale sienna-yellow.
F o rm , &c.—Head subtriangular, nose rounded, sides of head nearly perpendicular.
Body short and moderately robust, sides protuberant. Rostral
canthus obtuse ; nostrils rather nearer to the nose than the eye. Tympanum
circular, close to edge of upper jaw, immediately over the angle of the mouth ;
eyes rather large, eyebrows prominent and arched. Palatal teeth arranged
in two slightly curved lines, the outer extremity of each touching the inner
edge of the nostril, the inner extremity at a considerable distance from that