Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 2. (Budapest 1904)
Méhely, L.: Investigations on Paraguayan Batrachians
INVESTIGATIONS ON PARAGUAYAN BATRACHIANS. ál 5 black or blackisb-brown with great white spots ; beneath light brown with dirty white spots. Two specimen from Villa Sana near Asuncion, collected in April 1903. The length from snout to vent 72 and 37 mm. The structure of the skin (pl. XIII, fig. 3 > is highly interesting. The very thin epidermis consists only in 4—5 rows of cells (ep), immediately below which lies a stratum of enormously enlarged glands ranged close to each other (g). Every gland consists in polygonal cells (eth ) and enveloped into a fine membrane, studded with chromatophors ([ch ). The glandulous portion is separated above from the epidermis by a pigment-row (p.s) and below from the fibrous layer by a similar row (pi); it is furnished above with pores (o), opening on the epidermis. Below the glandulous part the fibrous layer of the corium with undulated (c s 1) and regularly (c s 2) arranged fibres is visible; below the latter running capillary bloodvessels (v). 1 believe that the glands secerne a milky fluid, which hardens on the air and forms a chit in like deposit on the back, as in Stereocy clops incrassatus Cope.* In fact shows the young specimen chitinlike scales, studded the whole surface of the back and Hanks. Biological remarks. The stomach of the adult was quite stuffed out with termites, among which were 386 workers and 17 soldiers. The fact that this frog nourishes exclusively with termites, shows sufficiently, what important factor he is in the house-keeping of nature and also gives any explanation of its organisation. For this reason it is easily unterstood that the skin is so much glandulous and that the secret hardened on the air for covering the back as a shield against the attackes of the termites. It seems that this peculiar structur of the skin is only a mean of defence, arisen through the influence of the mechanical irritation by the attackes of the termites and became later a full adaptation to the mode of life through natural selection. The peculiar structure of the skin is. 1 mean, nothing else than an answer to the mechanical influence of the mandible of the termites. I believe that the ossified cornea in St error g clops serves the same purpose. In truth these are opinions, which cannot be finally decided at the writing-table, because only through investigations made on the animal in its free life and natural surrounding, we should be able to clear up these questions. * G. A. BOULENGF.R, Catal. Batr. Sal., 1882, p. 159. I;in ifr.-i Musei Xationrtl' - Hmi'jarici. II. 14
