THE FROG AS PARENT. 



71 



mock existence that it is doubtful if they need to fall off into the 

 water; at all events, some tadpoles of Ilyla nehulosa taken out of this 

 nest and put into water, died in a few hours from lack of breath, being 

 unable to live without the peculiar air supply they were used to. How- 

 ever, the larvae of another frog ( Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis) are set 

 loose from the nest when the rain softens it and do fall into the water 

 to continue their tadpole life. This species occurs in Paraguay, and 

 makes use of the leaves of trees near the water. The male rides on 

 the back of the female, while both bend in the edges of a single leaf 

 till it makes a funnel. In this the eggs are laid and fertilized. The 

 jelly surrounding them holds the leaf in place till the tadpoles hatch 

 and are ready for the rain to forward them to their new destination. 



Fig. 3. 



In Japan there is also a nest-making frog (Rhacoporus Schlegeli) 

 which is said to lay its eggs sometimes amongst leaves on bushes or 

 trees. However, its usual habit is to make a nest in the ground as 

 indicated in Fig. 3. Awakening from their winter sleep, the frogs 

 crawl along the edges of rice fields and swamps and dig out holes 

 above the water level. The female carries the much smaller male, and 

 both become buried in a hole 6-9 cm. wide and 10-15 cm. above the 

 surface of the water. This nest cavity is smoothed inside by the 

 movements of the female and is then, in the night, supplied with a 

 ball of white matter full of air-bubbles. This is tough and elastic and 

 6-7 cm. thick. This mass is to supply moisture and air for the young. 

 It emerges from the cloaca along with the eggs, and is then kneaded 

 thoroughly by remarkable movements of the feet of the female. 



