63 



Haute (Blatchley), New Harmony and Mt. Vernon (Max. von Wied, 

 lOS, xxii, 118) ; Wabash and Kosciusko counties (A. B. Ulrey). 



This species appears to be rather rare in Indiana, but its rarity may be 

 more apparent than real, since many of these animals have the faculty of 

 effectually concealing themselves from the eye of the collector. In Indi- 

 ana the variety feriarum lays its eggs about the 20th of March. The 

 writer has described the life history of this little frog (23, xxiii, 770, with 

 plate). Its eggs were found in a small pool on the 22d of March. They 

 were attached to twigs in small and large bunches. Each egg was one- 

 third inch in diameter, including the usual coating of jelly. In the egg 

 the larva has a strong dorsal flexure, and has the tail thrown over the 

 back. The tadpoles were set free on April 5. They are slenderer than 

 the larvse of the Leopard Frog, and not so dark in color. They are dark 

 gray, rather than black. The external gills are small and quickly ab- 

 sorbed. They spend much of their time sticking to objects by means of 

 their ' ' holders," but very soon these organs disappear, and they then anchor 

 themselves by means of their sucker-like mouths. The rudiments of the 

 hinder limbs appear about the 20th of April. At the same time two 

 rows of horny teeth appear on each lip, and a few days later an addi- 

 tional row on the lower lip. These teeth are minutely deticulated at 

 their tips, and they form an admirable apparatus for scraping off the 

 layer of nutritious slime that covers all objects in the water. There are 

 from 55 to 95 of these teeth in each row. 



As the tadpoles grow older the body becomes broader and the tail 

 acquires a broad fin. By April 20 the length has become one half inch, 

 and by May 4 about three-quarters. The body is of a dark color, 

 adorned with numerous blotches of gold. The belly is nearly covered 

 with a shimmer of gold and coppery. When three-fourths inch long the 

 young were observed to come to the surface and to take in air. 



By the 20th of May the young have attained the total length of a little 

 •over an inch. Many of them about this time succeed in releasing their 

 forelegs from the skin which has held them down. Now the tadpoles 

 grow smaller instead of larger. This is largely due to the shortening of 

 "the intestine at this period of transformation. These four-legged tad- 

 poles are very lively and very timid. They show a great inclination to 

 get out of the water and to hop about. They soon lose their skill in 

 -swimming, and if confined to the water too long will drown. The disks 

 are seen on their fore feet as soon as these feet appear. The tails are rap- 

 idly absorbed, and by the 12th of June all have become little frogs like 

 the adults, except in size. At the time of transformation the length of 

 the head and body is less than one-half inch. 



This species, though called a tree-frog, probably never climbs trees. 

 They seem to live on the ground among the fallen forest leaves and in the 

 jgrass. Prof. Oope states that it will leap into the water when alarmed, 



