14 THE ANOURA OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 



Rana septentronalis Baird. 

 /\ 



Mink Frog. 



Size small, seldom exceeding two and a half inches in length. 

 Body rather deep and depressed ; tympanum large, sometimes 

 equalling that of R. clamata ; teeth feeble, the tAvo vomerine 

 patches small, approximate, and often fused. Legs rather short, 

 the heel just reaching the pupil; feet well webbed ; dorso-lateral 

 folds feebly represented, often wanting. Skin rough above, es- 

 pecially on the sides and posteriorly ; beloAV rather smooth. 



Coloration, above brownish olive, deepening- behind and lat- 

 erally to brownish purple, often with metallic lustre. Surface 

 broken into large and irregular roundish spots by waving and 

 coalescing lines of greenish yellow, of varying width, but show- 

 ing no definite pattern. Below whitish with dusky spots and 

 reticulations on the buttocks. Many exhibit the blotching of the 

 throat peculiar to dainata, a feature not attributed to more south- 

 ern specimens. The species, too, seems to average larger here. 



This frog is new to maritime province lists. Some time ago 

 the writer, regarding its near affinities and phylogenetic relations 

 with R. clamata and R. catesbiana, suggested that it was likely to 

 be found "in the western part of the province or the lake region 

 near the Bay ofFundy." ("Batrachia of New Brunswick, "Bull. 

 No. 16, Nat. Hist. Soc. of New Brunswick.) He has since col- 

 lected it at some stations in the valleys of the St. John and Mira- 

 michi, and C. F. B. Rowe took specimens from the lake region 

 referred to. 



Next to the Bull-frog R. catednana Shaw, it is perhaps our 

 most aquatic species, being met with in the shore waters of lakes 

 and rivers, never in isolated spring holes like R. calnmatn. Wary, 

 shy, and active, it is difficult to capture ; and, when first taken, 

 emits an odor like that of the mink, whence the name. The 

 writer has no knowledge of its breeding habits, nor of the life- 

 history of the larva? ; but as it shows a preference for large bod- 

 ies of well oxygenated water abounding in food, its habits, in this 

 respect, are likely similar to those of the Spring-frog and Bull- 

 frog, Avhose tadpoles seldom mature in one season. 



It will likely be found not uncommon in all suitable places 

 in the province, s Roy McLean Vanwart and the writer did not 



