the Midwife Toad. 171) 



Klebrigkeit nntl selbstredent ihre Eigenschaff, sicli spiiter 

 beim Eiiitrockneiij welches hier niclit sfatthat, um die ' 

 Schenkel des Maniicliens fest zusaniinenziiziehen ; macht es 

 also unmoglicli die Laichsclmur auf seinen Hintergliedinasseii 

 zu befestigen. Die Laichschnnr bleibt desslialb im Wasser 

 liegen, wo sicli trotzdemetliclie Eier zu entwickeln vermogen." 

 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 

 eggSj and the capsules, instead of shrinking, swell out to a 

 sligiit extent, measuring 3 to 4 mm.- in diameler when the 

 pair separate. On the other hand, I have found eggs 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- 

 eggs of the later generations as 10 mm. in diameter (2, pi. xvi. 

 fig. 2), is surely contrary to analogy in the case of other 

 batrachians, such as Pipa 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 tliose 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 readil}^ to weeds or stones, in our common 

 English 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 



* Dalme, Bl. Aq. Terr. K. xxv. 1914, p. 229. 



