A Turn-Coat of the Woods 



r 



broods. Most of them lay many eggs, up to 

 one thousand, in the water, not coherent in 

 strings, but in clumps ; others lay only a few, 

 attach them to various parts of the body, or, 

 as in the genus Nototrema, the female receives 

 them in a dorsal-pouch." 



Of our North American species, the one we 

 are talking about is the most widespread, occur- 

 ring all over the country east of the dry plains, 

 though becoming rare north of the Great Lakes. 

 It is among the largest, too, being about one 

 and one-third inches long, when fully grown. 

 Its name in classification is Hyla vefsicolor, or 

 the changeable hyla, in reference to its power 

 of assuming, upon all its upper surface, the 

 color of what it sits upon. This power is lim- 

 ited, however. If the animal were placed upon 

 a scarlet or gilded or bright blue surface, it 

 would not take those brilliant hues, because in 

 nature it never chooses or is called upon to rest 

 against colors so gay as these ; but it will change 

 all the way from dark green to nearly white, or 

 to deep gray or reddish brown, according as 

 it finds itself among green vegetation, or on an 



^219 5 



