RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



13 



swamp tree found in various parts of the 

 state, but usually scattered, extremely 

 variable. 



Var. monticola. Rock Chestnut oak. — 

 Middle-sized tree, not common in Rhode 

 Island, habitant of rocky hills, bark reddish 

 gray, compact, divided by long clefts but 

 not deep ; leaves four to nine inches long, 

 two to five wide, on short footstalks, mar- 

 gin round-toothed, six to thirteen divisions, 

 parallel veins, the whole resembling a chest- 

 nut leaf; acorns large, sweet, not abundant ; 

 wood valuable for fuel or timber; a fine tree 

 when well developed. 



^ Var. chiiKjuipin. — Shrub, ovate, four to six 

 feet high, several stems form a single root, 

 bark ashen gray, bitter, somewhat cleft, 

 with a few thin scales, leaves small, obovate 

 narrowed at base into a short petiole mar- 

 gin, wavy-toothed or nearly entire, polished 

 above, fine downy beneath ; fruit small, on 

 half inch footstalks, from leaf axils, middle 

 of new shoots, orbiculars, in a neat tuber- 

 cled cup ; sandy plains, gravelly hills, and 

 among ledges; not very common. 



Var. unnamed. (See Art. No. IV., 

 Vol. II., Random Notes) 



Note. There are some variations of the 

 oak family in this state, not specially alluded 

 to in the above articles, but which may be 

 treated of in future numbers. The oaks 

 are seen to be abundant in Rhode Island, 

 and really form the most important class 

 of indigenous trees. 



{To he continued.) 



Reptiles and Batrachians of Rhode Island. 



BY HERMAN C. BUMPUS. 



Number XVII. 



5. Rana halecina Kalm. The Shad or 

 Leopard Frog is at once the most beauti- 

 ful as well as the most elegant native rep- 

 resentative of the genus. Above it is of a 

 green or yellowish metallic color and marked 

 with two longitudinal rows of large, irreg- 

 ularly shaped, dark brown or black blotches 

 which are bordered with a halo-like 

 margin of a greenish shade. The arrange- 

 ment into rows is often more or less broken 

 up and the blotches may be small and num- 

 erous, or they may be of such a size as to 

 extend from fold to fold of the skin. 



Rulow, the animal is orilinaril}' of a 

 pearly white shade, though yellowish or 

 gray cloudings ma}- appear, according to 

 the temperament or surroundings of the ani- 

 mal. The cuticular folds are very prom- 

 inent and of a bright yellow color. 



This animal has always attracted more 

 or less interest since its first mention by 

 Catesby, though it was not specifically de- 

 scribed until met with b}' the Swedish trav- 

 eler Kalm, who noticed that it made its 

 appearance along the Delaware at the same 

 time as the shad, and he hence named it 

 Rana halecina from halec, the Indian name 

 of shad. 



The Shad Frog prefers rather the moist 

 meadow land to the sands and rocks and 

 is often surprised by the naturalist as he 

 wanders through the swamps or low open 

 pastures. When thus startled the frog will 

 excitedly jump about, not infrequently, in 

 its bewilderment, approaching rather than 

 fleeing from the object of its fright. These 

 leaps, when compared with the length of the 

 animal, are enormous. A Shad Frog 

 measures about seven inches in length and 

 often jumps a distance of eight feet. Were 

 a man to leap a relative distance he would 

 clear the widest street at a bound or lightly 

 spring to the roof of any ordinary building. 



In its geographical distribution Ra)tn 

 halecina is found from New Mexico to New 

 Brunswick, and from Minnesota to Florida 

 and is generally abundant, representing in 

 America the Rana esculenta of Europe. 



Of the breeding habits of this species it 

 may be of interest to note that the time of 

 oviposition is remarkably late, speci- 

 mens being not infrequentl}- found still in- 

 terested in their domestic duties long after 

 the other species have left the breeding- 

 ponds. Mr. J. A. Allen makes note of 

 having found, on dissection, apparently im- 

 mature eggs as late as April 23. 



With the Shad Frog our treatment of the 

 native Anurous Batrachians is concluded. 



We are having some cold weather here, 

 but it is only for a day or two at a time. 

 Prairie Dogs have not laid up at all this 

 winter ; they are to be seen every day. 

 Meadow Larks and Red Shouldered Black- 

 birds stay in this locality every winter, as 

 also Mallard Ducks and Canada Geese. 



W. G. S. 



Larimer Co., Colorado. 



