AET. U NORTH AMERICAN TADPOLES — WRIGHT 65 



HYLA VERSICOLOR (LeConte) 



Plate 9, figures 4, 5 



Color description jrom life (not Ridqway). — General color of back 

 olive green. Background of back yellowish, covered with many fine 

 hairlike black markings and golden and black spots, becoming orange 

 in the head region and sometimes almost vermilion about the aye; 

 the golden and black spots are more pronounced toward the tail; 

 on the sides is a decided irridescence. The eye is slightly bronzy. 

 The venter in general is conspicuously white or light cream and slightly 

 iridescent. The belly is covered with fine golden spots. From the 

 gill region forward the venter is greenish, a coloration produced by 

 black and golden spots. The background of all the tail except the 

 base is scarlet or orange-vermilion. The base of the tail is like the 

 bod}''. The tail is covered with black blotches, more prominent 

 around the edges of the crests. These blotches become much more 

 numerous as the hind legs develop. 



General appearance. — Tadpole medium (46.6 mm.), full, and deep 

 bodied. Tail very long, deep, tip very acuminate with a prominent 

 flagellum. The dorsal crest is as deep as the musculature and ex- 

 tends on to the bod}^ to the vertical between the spiracle and the 

 eye or to the spiracle. Spiracle sinistral, directed more backward 

 than upward, far below the lateral axis and visible as an elliptical 

 opening. Eye on lateral axis, in dorsal aspect on the lateral outline 

 and in consequence visible from the venter. Anus dextral, very near 

 or at the level of the edge of the lower tail crest. Muciferous crypts 

 indistinct. 



Mouth parts. — Teeth -|. Upper labium fringed with a continuous 

 row of labial teeth; the papillae extend above and inw^ard beyond 

 the end of the upper fringe for about one-third of the length of the 

 upper fringe. The end of the second row usually is even with the 

 end of the upper fringe. The horny beak is contained about two 

 times in the upper fringe. The median space between the lateral 

 second upper labial rows quite short, 3.25-5 times the length of either 

 lateral row. The inner papillae extends under the third row of 

 lower labial ^teeth, making at least two rows of papillae across the 

 lower labial border. In the lower labial corner there is a heavy 

 papillary series of two or three rows, not so pronounced as in IlyJa 

 squireUa or Hyla jemoralis. The lower third labial teeth is long and 

 is contained usuall}^ about 1.10-1.25 times in the first or second row. 

 The first or second rows about equal and 1.8-2.0 greater than the 

 horny beak. This species like HyJa Jemoralis and //. squirella has 

 an angulate upper fringe at its middle. 



Measurements. — (Okefinokee specimens). Length of body (14.8-16.0 

 mm.) in tail (27.4-31.2 mm.) 1.75-2.1 average, 1.92. Width 

 6359—29 5 



