ten wanders far from its aquatic home and is thus 

 more often encountered than any other frog. The 

 Leopard Frog is among the first of our frogs to 

 leave its hibernating quarters in the spring, congre- 

 gating in the shallow waters of marsh, pond, lake 

 and even temporary pools, in early March, for the 

 purpose of depositing its eggs. 

 33. Rana sylvatica LeConte. WOOD FROG. 



Few frogs, either in North America or else- 

 where, can vie with this species in beauty. Essen- 

 tially a terrestrial form, the Wood Frog is found in 

 aquatic situations only during its breeding season. 

 At other times, it may be found wandering about 

 the damp woods which form its home, or in some 

 sheltered crevice in rock or decayed log. It is the 

 first of our frogs to appear from its hibernating 

 quarters in the spring, emerging from its bur- 

 row in leaves and moss in February or early March. 

 REPTILIA (Class) DIAPSIDA (Subclass) 

 LORICATA (Order) 



The Crocodilians are carnivorous, fresh-water 

 reptiles of large size. They are found only in tro- 

 pical or semi-tropical regions. Their body is cov- 

 ered with epidermic plates; underneath some of 

 these are bony dermic scutes. Modern zoologists 

 divide the Loricata into three genera, CrocodiluSy 

 AlligatoTy and Gavialis. The first two of these 

 have representatives in American waters, {Croco- 

 dilus acutus and Alligator mississipiensis) ; the last 

 is found in India, Borneo and N. Australia. 

 The key will serve to separate these genera. 



