of
these frogs from other parts of Mexico shows a similar composition of
color variants. Of 78 specimens from the Rio Sarabia and the village of
Sarabia in Oaxaca (UMMZ 115428-37), 57 are "A," six are "D," three are
"E," and 12 are "F"; of 22 specimens from Teapa, Tabasco (UMMZ 113829),
11 are "A," five are "D," two are "E," and four are "F"; of 33 specimens
from Potrero Viejo, Veracruz (USNM 115447-58, 115461-71, 116840-2,
116864-70), ten are "A," 13 are "E," and ten are "F"; of 31 specimens
from La Esperanza, Chiapas (USNM 115477-9, 116827-39, 116849-63), 28 are
"A" and four are "F."

It is highly doubtful if these color variants are actually distinct
species. Goin (1950 and 1954) in his studies of inheritance of color
pattern in West Indian species of the genus _Eleutherodactylus_ has
shown that similar color pattern variants come from the same clutch of
eggs; furthermore, Goin has worked out the genetic ratios of certain of
these variants. Heathwole (_in litt._) obtained "normal" specimens and
individuals having a broad middorsal stripe ("C" in figure 9) from a
clutch of eggs of _Eleutherodactylus gollmeri_. The presence of a broad
middorsal yellow stripe is common in _Eleutherodactylus rugulosus_.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of variability in color pattern in
Mexican eleutherodactylids is the parallelism between members of the
_Eleutherodactylus rhodopis_-group and some members of
_Microbatrachylus_. In the former group there are white-lipped
individuals (_Eleutherodactylus beatae_ Boulenger), individuals having a
unicolor reddish or yellowish dorsum (_E. dorsoconcolor_ Taylor), and
individuals having a dorsal pattern of irregular longitudinal brown and
cream-colored streaks (_E. venustus_ Guenther). In the humid forests of
southern Veracruz, northern Oaxaca, and Chiapas members of both groups
occur sympatrically. A proper understanding of the evolutionary
significance of these variants in the two groups, as well as proper
allocation of the presently recognized species, must await experimental
evidence based on studies of the inheritance of color pattern.
Nevertheless, at present it is apparent that certain characters,
especially the nature of the dermal folds and pustules, and the color
pattern, are of little taxonomic value in distinguishing "species" of
_Microbatrachylus_. The data derived from a study of the large series
from Arteaga, together with that from the other series examined,
suggests that _