Smilisca Baudinii 



Nashville), South Carolina (Goose Creek), North Carolina (Wil- 

 mington), and Texas (Dallas). 



Hyla femoralis is a tree frog that, as far as known, lives high 

 in the pine trees of the Southern States. It is not as large as the 

 Common Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor), but bears a somewhat close 

 resemblance to it in body proportions, in colour, and in markings. 

 It can always be known by certain definite points, as follows: It 

 is distinguished from Hyla versicolor by the dark line through 

 the ear and by the lack of a white spot under the eye. Also, the 

 posterior surface of the femur is brown, spotted with light colour, 

 not reticulated as in Hyla versicolor. This spotting on the pos- 

 terior femur will always distinguish it also from Hyla squirella, the 

 common tree frog at the South. 



Nothing is on record regarding its life history or habits. 



SMILISCA BAUDINII, D. AND B. 



IDENTIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS 



Colour: Changeable from a colour so dark that it is nearly 

 black, to delicate shades of green, grey, or fawn colour. When the 

 medium shades are most intense, there is a pronounced colour 

 pattern, which is obscure or lacking when the shade is light or 

 dark. (Figs. 1 78 to 1 80.) This pattern consists of a band between 

 the eyes, connected with a cross-shaped mark on the back, various 

 irregular spots placed laterally and posteriorly to the cross, trans- 

 verse bars on the arms and hands, and three of -four transverse 

 bars on the legs. In addition, there is a permanent colour pattern 

 as follows: a light spot under the gold or bronze eye; a light line 

 along the jaw, extending back to the shoulder (the immediate edge 

 of the jaw is dark); a dark line from the eye backward to the 

 shoulder, terminating in a prominent black patch of colour over 

 the arm insertion; and a distinct white spot above and encircling 

 arm insertion. (Fig. 182.) The belly is light, unspotted. 

 Breast and throat (female) obscurely or distinctly spotted with 

 dark. (Fig. 183.) Posterior surface of thigh somewhat spotted, 

 not reticulated. Sides light, spotted with dark (perhaps reticu- 

 lated); yellowish posteriorly. 



