the Midwife Toad. 102 
Klebrigkeit und selbstredent ihre Eigenschaft, sich spiter 
beim Eimtrocknen, welches hier nicht statthat, um die 
Schenkel des Minnchens fest zusammenzuziehen ; macht es 
also unméglich die Laichschnur auf seinen Hintergliedmassen 
zu befestigen. Die Laichschnur bleibt desshalb im Wasser 
liegen, wo sich trotzdem etliche Hier zu entwickeln vermégen.” 
It is thus stated that normally, on land, there is no swelling 
out, rather a desiccation, of the egg-capsules, which helps the 
male to fasten the strings round its legs, whilst such a 
swelling of the same capsules takes place after a few minutes 
immersion that it becomes impossible for it to do so. 
My experience is contrary to both these statements. During 
the act of fecundation the eggs receive a considerable amount 
of soaking through a copious discharge of liquid from the 
male's bladder. I have seen the ground quite wet below the 
eggs, and the capsules, instead of shrinking, swell out to a 
slight extent, measuring 3 to 4 mm. in diameter when the 
pair separate. On the other hand, I have found eges which 
shortly after having been laid were placed in water for about 
two hours to measure 4 to 5 mm. The toughness and 
viscosity of the capsules are preserved, and there should be 
no obstacle to the male in very shallow water dealing with 
the eggs in the normal way if it felt so disposed. 
The notion that water affects the egg-envelopes to the 
extent mentioned by Kammerer, who represents the water- 
egos of the later generations as 10 mm. in diasneter (2, pl. xvi. 
fig. 2), is surely contrary to analogy in the case of other 
batrachians, such as Ppa and the Urodeles. In the former, 
which is thoroughly aquatic, and of course spawns in the 
water, the eggs are much of the same kind as those of normal 
Alytes, and it is a’ well-established fact that they stick to the 
back of the female after oviposition. Among the aquatic 
forms of the latter we find feebly swollen and viscous cap- 
sules, adhering readily to weeds or stones, in our common 
Inglish newts, and others which swell out to the same extent 
as in the typical frogs, such being the Pleurodele newt and the 
‘Amblystomes. I therefore refuse to believe that the mere 
fact of being laid in water can transform the eggs, as is stated 
to happen in Alytes, and I may add that the high temperature 
of 25-30° C. (4, p. 97) has recently been shown* not neces- 
sarily to prevent it from breeding in the normal way. 
But the amusing thing is that, after having been assured 
(4, p. 97) that it is “unmoglich”’ for the strings of eggs to 
* Dihne, Bl. Aq. Terr. K. xxv. 1914, p. 229. 
