U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 160 PLATE 1 BUFO ALVARIUS GiRARD Illustrating parotoifi, ulnar, and tibial glands, skin texture, and other identification points. Upper photograph by Dr. Walter P. Taylor, Bureau of Biological Survey. CJ\ re uuItvILlvi q SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ^f V UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM \^, \\\^ . \I\\i Bulletin 160 MEXICAN TAILLESS AMPHIBIANS IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BY REMINGTON KELLOGG Assistant Curator, Division of Mammals United States National Museum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1932 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. AD^'ERTISEMEXT The scientific publications of the National Museum include two series, known, respectively, as Proceedings and Bulletin. The Proceedings series, begun in 1S7S. is intended primarily as a medium for the publication of original papers, based on the collections of the National Museum, that set forth newly acquired facts in biol- ogy, anthropology, and geology, with descriptions of new forms and revisions of limited groups. Copies of each paper, in pamphlet form, are distributed as published to hbraries and scientific organizations and to specialists and otibers interested in the different subjects. The dates at which these separate papers are published are recorded in tie table of contents of each of the volumes. The series of Bulletins, the first of which was issued in 1875, con- tains separate pubUcations comprising monographs of large zoologi- cal groups and other general systematic treatises (occasionally in several volumes', fajimai works, reports of expeditions, catalogues of type specimens ^nd special collections, and other material of similar nature. The majority of the volumes are octavo in size, but a quarto size has been adopted in a few instances in which large plates were regarded as indispensable. In the Bulletin series appear volumes under the heading Contributions jron\ the United States National Herbarium, in octavo form, published by the National Maseum since 1902, which contain papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum. The present work forms No. 160 of the Bulletin series. Alexaxdee Wetmore, Assistant Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. Washtn-gton, D. C, March 31, 1932. CONTEXTS Pa«e Historical introduction 1 Collecting work of Nelson and Goldman 1 Other sources of National Museum material 3 Material in other museums 9 Acknowledgments 15 Abbreviations 15 Class Amphibia Linnaeus: Order Salientia Laurenti 16 Key to families of Mexican Salientia 17 Family Pelobatidae Lataste 18 Genus Scaphiopus Holbrook 18 Key to Mexican species of Scaphiopus 19 Family Rhinophrynidae Gunther 24 Genus Rhinophrynus Dumeril and Bibron 24 Family Bufonidae Hogg 27 Genus Bnfo Laurenti 27 Key to Mexican species of Bufo 31 Family LeptodactyUdae Berg 74 Key to genera of Mexican Leptodactylidae 76 Genus Engystomops Espada 77 Genus Leptodaclylus Fitzinger 81 Key to Mexican species of LeptodactyJus 82 Genus Eleutherodaciyhis Dumeril and Bibron 90 Key to Mexican species of Eleuiherodadylus 92 Genus Cauphias Brocchi US Genus Tomodactylus Giinther 120 Genus Syrrhophus Coj>e 123 Key to Mexican species of Syrrhophus 124 Family Hylidae Gunther 129 Key to genera of Mexican Hylidae 131 Genus Gastrotheca Fitzinger 133 Genus Pternohyla Boulenger 135 Genus Diaglena Cop>e 137 Genus Triprion Cof>e ' 138 Genus Phyllomedusa Wagler 139 Key to Mexican species of PhyUomedusa 142 Genus Hyla Laurenti 147 Key to Mexican species of Hyla 150 Genus Hyldla Reinhardt and Lutken 179 Key to Mexican species of HyleUa 180 Family Bre%icipitidae Cope 182 Key to Mexican Brevicipitidae 182 Genus Hypopachus Keferstein 183 Genus Gastrophryne Fitzinger 1S6 Family Ranidae Bonaparte 189 Genus Rana Linnaeus 189 Key to Mexican species of Rana 190 Index -17 m ILLUSTRATIONS Figures Page FiQUKE 1. Diagrams illustrating structural conditions found in the sacral vertebra and coccyx of Mexican tailless amphibians 18 2. Terminal phalanges of the toe in the foot of Hyla 18 3. Diagrammatic ventral view of shoulder girdle of Bufo ameri- canus .- 27 4. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo alvarius from Guadalupe Canyon, Sonora, Mexico ._ 36 5. Lateral and dorsal views of type specimen of Bufo canaliferus, from Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico 40 6. Lateral and dorsal views of type specimen of Bufo coccifer, from Arriba, Costa Rica 41 7. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo cognatus from Nebraska 42 8. Lateral and dorsal views of cotype specimen of Bufo compadilis from Pesquieria Grande, Nuevo Leon, Mexico 45 9. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo cristatus from Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico 49 10. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo debilis from Delaware Creek, Culberson County, Tex .. 50 11. Lateral and dorsal views of Bw/o mannws from Gatun, Panama. 54 12. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo marmoreus from mountains 12 miles north of Santo Domingo, Oaxaca, Mexico 58 13. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo punctatus from La Paz, Lower California 61 14. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo simus from Valley of Mexico and from Dolores, Nayarit, Mexico 64 15. Lateral and dorsal views of Bufo valliceps from Victoria, Tex.- 69 16. Lateral and dorsal views of type specimen of Bufo woodhousii, from San Francisco Mountain, Ariz 73 17. The T-shaped terminal phalanx of Me?^//ieroc/adt/iws 76 18. Lateral and dorsal views of Engystomops pustulosus from Santo Domingo, Oaxaca, 'Mexico 79 19. Fore feet of Central American liylids, illustrating the extent of the web between the fingers 141 20. Hind feet of Mexican hylids, illustrating the extent of the web between the toes 141 21. Diagrammatic ventral view of shoulder girdle of Rana cates- beiana 195 22. Diagrammatic dorsal view of skull of Rana catesbeiana 196 23. Diagrammatic ventral view of skull of Rana catesbeiana 196 24. Opened mouth of Rana pipiens, showing position of vomerine teeth 204 Pl/ATES Plate 1. Bufo alvarius Girard Frontispiece I? MEXICAN TAILLESS AMPHIBIANS IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM By Remington Kellogg Assistant Curator, Division of Mammals, United States National Museum HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION In 1926 the writer was instructed by Dr. E. W. Nelson, at that time chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture, to examine and prepare a report on the herpetological collections made by Doctor Nelson and Edward A. Goldman in Mexico. This work has been completed since the writer became a member of the staff of the United States National Museum. In the course of this study the scope of the report was enlarged to include all the Mexican material that was available in the National Museum and other American institutions. Inasmuch as it was orig- inally intended to deal with the Mexican collection of Nelson and Goldman, a few facts in regard to the inauguration of their field work and the extent of their explorations may be of interest. COLLECTING WORK OF NELSON AND GOLDMAN Upon completion of field work by the Death Valley expedition and the consequent disbanding of the party at Visalia, Tulare County, Calif., the various members scattered to take up other assignments. Doctor Nelson traveled southward through the San Joaquin Valley to the Goldman ranch at Alila (nowEarlimart), Calif., where he mentioned to E. A. Goldman's father his intention of obtaining an assistant. The father spoke of his son's interest in natural history and remarked that he was then in Fresno. As a result of this conversation, the senior Goldman went to Fresno and brought Edward back with him to the ranch for Nelson's appraisal. On October 10, 1891, Goldman left his father's ranch as Nelson's personal assistant, the understanding being that he was to be given $30 a month and his board. This was paid by Nelson out of his own salary of $150 a month. They traveled in a buckboard outfit, which was the object of no little curiosity because of two 42-pound bear traps that hung one from each side. For some reason Nelson had chosen the name "Scalops" for one member of their team, while the other went by the name of "Johnny." 1 2 BULLETIN 160, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Nelson and Goldman drove through the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley to a site 8 miles west of Tejon Pass and thence to the head of San Emigdio Canyon. Leaving this camping site they crossed the southern end of the valley, collecting at various localities on their northward trip to San Luis Obispo, Calif. From this place they worked northward to San Simeon and the mountains near by, and in a few days drove southward along the coast, collecting sea birds particularly, to Santa Paula, where, about January 4, 1892, they abandoned the buckboard and field outfit. Orders had been received from Dr. C. Hart Merriam, chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, for Nelson to start on what it was anticipated would be a three months' trip to western Mexico. Nelson and Goldman traveled by rail from Santa Paula to San Francisco and sailed on the Pacific mail steamer Acapulco for Manzanillo, Colima, where they landed on January 24, 1892. From the time of sailing until March 1, 1892, Goldman, who had previously been a personal assistant of Nelson, worked for the experience without pay, and then he received his first official appointment from the Biological Survey, which authorized his employment at $75 a month, out of which he was to pay his board and traveling expenses. Instead of lasting three months, the field trip was extended, until Goldman had passed four years in Mexico, after which he received permission to visit his home. In September, 1893, Nelson left Chihuahua City for Washington, D. C, but returned to the City of Mexico in December, 1893, where he was met by Goldman, and they continued the field work together. Again on August 15, 1896, Nelson left Carneros, Coahuila, for Wash- ington.