146 TransactioDs. 



Arboreal Habits. 



Hyla ewingii is a true climbing-frog, but according to Mr. 

 J. J. Fletcher it has, at least in Australia, altogether or nearly 

 lost the arboreal habits of a tree-frog. In Westland, however, 

 it still seems to do a fair amount of climbing. 



Mr. A. P. Harper, of Greymouth, in a letter to me, gives 

 the following account of their climbing propensities : "I have 

 personally seen these frogs (Hyla ewingii) crawling over black- 

 berry bushes at a height of from six to eight feet above the 

 ground, and also in the middle of a patch of berry, five yards by 

 three at least. They even crawl along the thorny stems. I 

 have also seen them on the macrocarpa and in the branches 

 of the natural creepers on a dead tree-stem. The highest these 

 frogs climb above the ground is, I should say, about eight feet. 

 On one old tree-stem covered with creepers, ferns, &c. (as one 

 so often sees here) there are nearly always some singing- frogs. 

 It is just above a pool which exists in wet weather only. I 

 rather think they climb when the pools are dry. but I am not 

 sure." 



Several that escaped from me on the 9tli March I afterwards 

 found clinging to the top of grass-stems about two feet from 

 the ground. Whether the abundance of bush in Westland has 

 stimulated the frog to make use of a power which it has almost 

 lost in Australia is difficult to decide. At any rate, the frog's 

 environment in Westland would certainly be conducive to tree- 

 climbing, and the abundance of undergrowth and creepers would 

 make it very easy work. 



Breedinc4 Habits. 



Hyla iivingii evidently extends its breeding season into the 

 autumn, for on the 1st March two lots of spawn were laid in the 

 aquarium. 



On the 11th and 12th most of the eggs hatched out, and the 

 tadpoles, dark-blue in colour, after swimming about for a little 

 time, finally fastened themselves to the water-weeds or to the 

 sides of the aquarium. 



After about three weeks of normal development the tad- 

 poles had grown to about 17 mm. in length. 



On the 22nd March I put five into an aquarium, which I 

 shall call A ; it was out in the open, about 2 ft. by 2 ft. by 1 ft. 

 in size, and held 4 cubic feet of running water. Five others I 

 put into an aquarium (B) situated in a hothouse. The tank 

 was 2 ft. 8 in. by 15 in. by 1\ in., and held about 2 J cubic feet 

 of standing water. During the autumn they were always visible 

 swimming about in the aquarium, but when the cold weather 



