Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana, in the year 1852 / by Randolph B. Marcy ; assisted by George B. McClellan. Page: 229 of 368

                                
APPENDIX F.-REPTILES.

213

BATRACHIANS.
Of this order of reptiles only two species were procured-a toad and
a frog.
1. BUFO COGNATUS, Say.
ZOOLOGY, PI. XI.
SPEC. CHAR.-Greenish brown above, with a lighter yellowish dorsal
line.  Patches of blackish-brown scattered over the sides and legs.
Beneath unricolor of a dingy yellow. Head short, groove on its upper
surface, not extending to the anterior rim of the eye.
SYN.-Bufo cognatus, Say, in Long's Exp. to Rock. Mts. II, 1823,
190.
OBS.-It is not without hesitation that we have referred the present
species to Bufo cognatus; the description of Say as cited is exceedingly
brief, applying almost equally well to several allied species. The colors
of our specimen vary considerably from the B. cognatus as described by
Say; but the characters of the groove of the crown agree better. The
mark of "head with a groove which hardly extends anteriorly to th3
line of the anterior canthus of the eye," although not strictly in accordance
with our species, may, with some allowance, be made to answer to
it. It is much to be regretted that the original specimen of Say was
destroyed in the conflagration of the Philadelphia Museum, and thus all
hopes of identification are lost. If, however, further explorations in
Arkansas should yield many additional specimens, all differing as much
as the present from Say's description, it will become necessary to assign
a new name to it, especially if the true B. cognatus be at the same time
detected.
DESCRIPTION.-The head is very short, the snout obtuse and truncate,
with the nostrils subterminal. Upper surface of head grooved; groove
subelliptical and short, not extending anteriorly to the anterior rim
of the eye (fig. 2.) The superciliary ridges thicken from before backwards,
extending to the tympanum in passing obliquely behind the
eyes, and in contact also with the parotid glands, which are subovoidal
and of medium size. Tympanum rather small, subelliptical; its longest
diameter almost vertical. The fore and hind legs are well proportioned
to the size of the body. The under surface of the hand is provided
with small crowded tubercles, a more conspicuous and a larger one at
the articulations of the fingers; the fingers themselves are depressed or