118 XJ. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 206 



that nearly merge with the lateral dark bands to form this marking 

 supposed to be characteristic of the northern form, and in one example, 

 USNM 76294, from Rio de Janeiro, the pattern is actually completed 

 on one side of the body, this individual resembling the Ecuador frog 

 in this respect. The dorsal pattern in the northern H. leucophyllata 

 seems subject to much more irregularity; in some of the Costa 

 Rican frogs it is much reduced in size, very irregular in outline, or even 

 broken up, while in the two examples from Pernambuco, theA-sbaped 

 pattern is complete. Fresh Central American specimens are said to 

 have a light spot below the eye which does not appear to be present 

 in South American examples. In this connection it is interesting to 

 observe that this light spot below the eye occurs in the Guatemalan 

 frog called Hyla ebraccata by Taylor and Smith (Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., vol. 95, p. 587, 1945). 



Remarks. — Hyla ebraccata Cope has been revived as a full species by 

 Taylor and Smith. It was synonymized with a query under leuco- 

 phyllata by Boulenger, 1882. 



The subspecies sarayacuensis described by Slireve from Ecuador on 

 the basis of a melanistic color pattern is synonjmiized here because of 

 a very similar melanism foimd especially in USNM 97353, from 

 Manguinhos. In this frog, the silvery areas so obvious in most of 

 its companions are completely overlaid with a chocolate-brown net- 

 work, so that the silver appears only in small patches on the elbow 

 and along the edges of the upper tibial spot. Less extensive veinings 

 of brown occur on some of the other leucophyllata from this and other 

 locahties. 



In the State of Rio de Janeiro leucophyllata is common. The call 

 is a tick-tick-tick, repeated often, like that of a smaU cricket. Tad- 

 poles are found in fresh-water streams, and eggs have been laid in the 

 laboratory at any time between September and January. Adults 

 are found on leaves, in banana trees, and in bromeliads. 



I kept a female of this species alive for nearly a year, having brought 

 it from Rio de Janeiro to the U. S. National Museum in Washington, 

 D. C. From early May until November it took no food, clinging 

 constantly to the side of the glass near the water which covered the 

 bottom of the vivarium and apparently not changing its position 

 for days at a time. In November it became active, and some small 

 earthworms, flies and pieces of raw beef were readily eaten when offered. 

 During its prolonged abstinence from food, the frog did not appear 

 to get thinner. Probably the species normally undergoes a long period 

 of inactivity, or "hibernation," after the usual mating season. 



The light dorsal areas which appear silvery white in most preserved 

 specimens were brilliant metallic gold in this living specimen, changing 

 sometimes to a dull bronze or almost coppery hue for a few days. 



