The Leopard-frog or Meadow-frog, Rana pipiens (Schreber). 59 



distance 1.2 to 1.8, average 1.48. Greatest length, 84 mm. Greatest 

 length of tail, 56 mm. Greatest length of body, 28 mm. Greatest depth 

 of tail, 16.4 mm. 



Coloration of body (Plate ix, Fig. ID) : Background of back, a dark 

 brown covered with fine gold spots and many aggregate ones on sides, 

 the general appearance somewhat similar to that of the green-frog, but 

 darker. Background on front of head rather orange. The belly is deep 

 cream covered with bronze-like iridescence. The gill region is pig- 

 mented with dark toward the sides, is covered all over with gold spots, 

 and is iridescent. The throat-area is translucent and more extensive 

 than in the pickerel-frog. Tail: Unlike the pickerel-frog tadpole, the 

 tail is conspicuously lighter than the body, the crests being translucent 

 and marked with scattered fine spots and pencilings. Gold spots occur 

 toward the base of the tail. The eye is bronze. 



Mouth-parts (Plate vm, Fig. 3) : Labial papillae with black punctu- 

 lations; upper fringe continuous. The space between the discontin- 

 uous second upper series is equal to and never twice one of the lateral 

 rows of either side. The lower lip is as in the green-frog, bullfrog, and 

 pickerel-frog. The second lower row is seldom discontinuous. In 

 45 specimens no decided departures from the normal were noted. The 

 second upper row was not absent in any case, though in a very few 

 examples it was faint or somewhat abbreviated. Occasionally the 

 first lower row may be in three or four parts. 



THE LARVAL PERIOD. 



In 1906 eggs were recorded in one place April 25; in the same place 

 larvae transformed July 19, 85 days later. In 1907, in different local- 

 ities, periods of 99, 103, 109, and 111 days respectively were recorded. 

 In 1908 we have two records of 75 and 83 days; in 1911 we have two 

 records of 94 days, or 77 and 71 days of the true larval period. The 

 period from the egg to transformation may be from 71 to 111 days, or 

 a true larval period of 60 to 80 days. 



THE TRANSFORMATION. 



The majority of the larvae transform in July, although occasional 

 records can be found far into August. The first records were July 12, 

 1900; July 14, 1901; July 21, 1903; July 25, 1905; July 8, 1906; July 

 18, 1907; July 7, 1908; July 16, 1910; June 30, 1911. The average is 

 July 12; the range is June 30 to July 25. A consideration of all our 

 transformation records from 1906 to 1911 shows that more than half 

 of the transformations come between July 14 and 24. An average of all 

 the records indicates July 17. The transformation-period for any one 

 year consumes at least a month, sometimes running into August ; our 

 latest record at Ithaca is August 6, 1907. At the transformation season 

 the young come out into the shallows; and if the year has been very 



