78 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



and on the sides of the pools. The larger ones are un- 

 usually wary and it is a difficult matter to capture them 

 even with a dip net. I was unsuccessful in an attempt 

 to transfer several of them to the aquarium in our lab- 

 oratory, for although all precautions were taken, they 

 died a short time after their capture. The tadpoles were 

 found in three lots and were of three different sizes. 



Those of lot 1 (three in number) were in a rather deep 

 and well shaded water pocket, under an overhanging 

 rock. Dimensions of pocket, 6x4 feet. Depth at deepest 

 point, about a foot. When first observed the tadpoles 

 were in the shallow portion, but on being alarmed swam 

 to the bottom. All three appeared to be of about the 

 same size. 



In lot 2 were ten specimens, each about two-thirds the 

 size of those in the first lot. In a water pocket six inches 

 in depth. 



Lot 3, twenty or more specimens, the majority of which 

 were small (stage 1), were in water in a section of the 

 gulch where tiny springs issue from the bases of the 

 bluffs. The water was barely running and the portion 

 of the stream in which the tadpoles were found was about 

 25 feet in length and from 6 to 24 inches in width, with 

 a depth of only a few inches. Rocky bottom, well covered 

 with dead leaves. 



Judging from these exhibits the number of eggs de- 

 posited by this species must be remarkably small, for 

 those of the smaller Anurans such as Chorophilus triseri- 

 atus and Acris gryllus usually number 500 or more. As 

 no fish were found in the pools and none of the Ophidians 

 were as yet active, the question of the number being re- 

 duced by animal foes is entirely eliminated. The eggs or 

 tadpoles could not have been scattered by being washed 

 down stream as there were no accumulations of water 

 higher up in the bed of the gully. By the 19th of March 

 the larger tadpoles had become fully developed frogs and 

 left the water with their short tails still in evidence. 

 They were slightly over a third as large as full grown 



