THE COMMON FROG. 



[chap. 



young; but nothing of the kind exists amongst birds 

 or reptiles. In fishes , however, the male of the little 

 Sea-horse {Hippocampics) is provided with a ventral 

 pouch in which the eggs are sheltered, and the same 

 class presents us with a mode of carrying the eggs 

 still more bizarre than that of Alytes obstetricans 

 just related. In the fish Arms^ fissiis the male 

 actually carries about the ova in the mouth, protected 

 by the jaws, till relieved of the inconvenience by 

 the hatching, of the young fry. 



A South African Toad {Dactylethra capensis) is 

 interesting, as we shall hereafter see, on account of 

 certain anatomical points in which it agrees with 

 PipUy and differs from all other Anoura. No in- 

 teresting facts, however, are known as to its habits. 



Another noteworthy form is the Mexican Rhino- 

 phrymis dorsalis, the exceptional characters of which 

 are the tongue, which is free in front instead of 

 behind, and the enormous spur-like tarsal tubercle. 



Fig. 13. — Rhi}ioplLry7ius dorsalis. 



Almost all frogs and toads pass the first stages 

 of their existence in water, going through a free, 



