_B. mauritanica_ s. _pantherina_.–The "Pantherine Toad" is one of the few African species, and is one of the prettiest of all toads. The skin is almost smooth, although provided with porous glands. The parotoids are large, but flat; large glandular complexes on the legs or arms are absent. The tympanum is very distinct. The upper parts are adorned with a delicate pattern of dark-edged, rich brown or olive patches upon a light, buff-coloured ground; the under parts are uniform white; the male has a subgular vocal sac. The total length is 3 to 4 inches. This beautiful species is one of the gentlest, and it becomes tame enough to lap up food whilst sitting on one's hand. It lives entirely upon insects, prefers shade and dusky light, and utters a sound like "kooh-rr." It is a native of North-Western Africa, Algiers, and Morocco. In the rest of Africa, from Egypt to the Cape, Senegambia to Abyssinia, it is represented by _B. regularis_. This species has often little spiny tubercles upon the warts, and occasionally a light vertebral line; the colour of the upper parts either closely resembles that of the previous species, or it is uniform light brown, while the under parts are whitish, or variegated with brownish patches. West African specimens are the smallest, only 2 inches long; those of the Cape are the largest, reaching 5 to 6 inches. The next two genera approach the Engystomatinae, and thereby lead from the arciferous towards the firmisternal type. The epicoracoid cartilages are narrow, and they scarcely overlap, so that by a further step in this direction they could easily fuse into the firmisternal condition. Another bond between these two genera and the Engystomatinae is their habits, they being ant-eaters of an extremely stout appearance, with exclusively short limbs and very small heads. _Myobatrachus gouldi_, living in Australia, has a smooth skin, brown above, lighter beneath, and is about 2 inches long. {185}_Rhinophrynus dorsalis_ of Mexico is remarkable for its tongue, which is elongated, subtriangular and free in front, so that it can be protruded directly–not by reversion as in other toads–and can be used for licking up the termites which seem to be its principal food. The body of this ugly creature is almost egg-shaped, and the head is merged into this mass, only the narrow truncated snout protruding. The limbs are very short and stout. The toes are more than half webbed, and there is a large oval, shovel-like metatarsal tubercle, covered with horn and used for digging. The general colour is brown, with a yellow stripe along the spine and with irregular spots and patches on the flanks and limbs. Total length 2 to 2½ inches. [Illustration: FIG. 36.–Map showing distribution of Hylidae. The vertically shaded countries are inhabited by _Hyla_ and by other genera of Hylidae; the horizontally shaded countries only by _Hyla_.]