Descriptions of new species of reptiles, collected by the U.S. Exploring Expedition, under the command of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. / by Charles Girard.

  • Girard, Charles, 1822-1895.
Date:
[1857]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Descriptions of new species of reptiles, collected by the U.S. Exploring Expedition, under the command of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. / by Charles Girard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    2/6
    Ranidella, Girard—Palate without teeth. Tongue elongated, 'subelliptica, posteriorly slightly emarginated and free upon one-third of its length Tym- panum not visible. Eustachian tubes minute. Fingers and toes subcylindrical tapering into a point and perfectly free.—Ranidella siGNirEHA, Girard. ' With no specimen of Crinia georgiana at our command, we have been unable to compare critically the characters of Crinias as just subdivided. For this reason we do not raise llanidella to the rank of a genus for the present. If fu- ture investigations do not bring to light other species'of each of these subdi- visions, we shall not hesitate to consider Crinia georgiana and Ranidella sig- nifera as congeneric species, in which the character of the vomerine teeth loses that importance which it has elsewhere. Ranidella;as circumscribed above, is related to Oxyglosstc.i and Leiuperus in the absence of teeth on the palate, differing from both, however, in having its tympanum entirely hidden and its toes perfectly free. Criyiia georgiana is an analogue, in Australia, of the South American Pleuro- demas. WAGLERIA, Girard.—Vomerine teeth disposed on a single and very long trans- verse row, situated behind the inner nostrils. Tympanum small and not very distinct. Toes bordered by a membranous fold ip the male. Tongue but slightly notched posteriorly. Obs.—Wagleria peronii (C. peronii, D. and B.), and W. dorsalis (C. dor- salis, Gray, should the latter prove specifically distinct from the first], are the- two species which constitute this genus. Both species are natives of New Hol- land, and of the first, specimens were collected by the Exploring Expedition in the south-eastern part of Australia. The latter we only know through the brief description of J. E. Gray. KASSINA, Girard.—Vomerine teeth disposed in two V-shaped groups, situ- ated behind the inner nostrils. Tympanum not distinct. Tongue cordiform, emarginated behind. Fingers free, the first shorter than the second. Toes entirely deprived of membrane. Skin perfectly smooth. Obs.—Kassina senegalensis {Cystign. senegalejisis, Dum. and B.) is the only species hitherto known of this genus, the diagnosis of which may hereafter re- quire some slight modifications, upon the reception of other species presenting the same disposition of the vomerine teeth. Thus, the genera Leptodactylus, Cystignathus and Pleurodema are American ; the genera Wagleria, Crinia and llanidella are Australian, and the genus Kassina is African. From want of specimens, and accuracy in their descriptions, we have not been able to determine, generically, Cystignathus aeneus, Guieh., C schombnrghii, Trosch., and C. sylvestris, Tsch., all three from South America. The latter, apparently, belongs to the genus Cystignathus proper, but seems to be provided with a much smaller number of teeth, and likewise situated more anteriorly than is usually the case in that group. The visibility of the tympanum and the pre- sence of a partial membrane to the toes are strongly suggestive of that genus. Ranidje. 1. Leptodactylus serialis, G.—Greenish brown on the head and back; yel- lowish brown on the sides and legs, with series of black maculae. A post-orbital vitta tapering into a point towards the shoulder. Margin of the jaws maculated with black and white. Vomerine teeth disposed upon angular arches. Tongue cordiform, posteriorly free upon one third of its length, slightly emarginated at both extremities. Toes with a rudimentary membrane at their base and along their margin. Skin with indistinct longitudinal dorsal folds, otherwise smooth. Obs.—Allied to L. typhonius, but distinguished from the latter by the struc- ture of the toes. Locality.—Rio de Janeiro, 1839.