N. America. The development of Salientia is varied 

 to a wonderful degree; many species undergo 

 their metamorphosis in water after the manner of 

 most of our North American species, but an equal 

 number metamorphose in strange and var- 

 ied manners; one South American species (Pipa 

 americana) passes the larval or tadpole stage in 

 small cavities in the back of the mother. 

 LINGUATA (Suborder) 

 SCAPHIOPODIDAE (Family) 



j;^^ Scaphiopus (Genus) 



^2^ Scaphiopus holbrookii holbrookii (Harlan) 

 This curious and interesting species leads a bur- 

 rowing life. Dickerson, in the "Frog Book", gives the 

 following interesting account of this form: "A 

 strange weird-looking creature is the Hermit Spade- 

 foot when he is turned out of his ground burrow. 

 At first sight he looks like a small brown ball of 

 earth, but almost immediately air is expelled from 

 the lungs, so that the inflated sides collapjie, and 

 two elevations rise at the smaller end and become 

 two round staring eyes of so brilliant a gold that 

 they seem out of place in such a dusky surround- 

 ing. Awkward hands are lifted one at a time 

 and rubbed over the eyes. The Spadefoot, now 

 quite awake and alert, begins trying to escape. 

 He does not stealthily creep away as do many 

 of the toads; he does not startle one with a pro- 

 digious leap, as do the frogs and treefrogs. He be- 

 gins sinking out of sight into the soft earth, and 

 in less time than it takes to tell li, has wholly dis- 



