118 SEX-LORE 



a hole in the ground or under a stone, remaining there 

 for ten or twelve days until the eggs are hatched, 

 only coming out at night for food, or to dip the eggs 

 into water. When they have reached the tadpole 

 stage he takes the young tadpoles to the water, where 

 they are left to fend for themselves. Some slight 

 attempts at preparing a nursery for the young are 

 made by other species. The female Brazilian tree- 

 frog goes to the shallow end of a pool and brings up 

 loads of mud on her head, whic*h she piles up gradually 

 in a circle to form a tiny pond, smoothing it inside, 

 until the edge is above the surface of the water. 

 The spawn is deposited in this nest. 



In reptiles it is always the female that shows the 

 parental care necessary for the welfare of the young; 

 for a certain amount of incubation is necessary here, 

 which devolves upon the female. This method of 

 incubation safeguards the eggs from destruction, so 

 that the original output of eggs needs to be relatively 

 smaller. The female crocodile digs a hole in the 

 ground, into which the eggs are laid. The hole is then 

 filled up with earth, she herself selecting the top for 

 her sleeping place. It takes about twelve weeks for 

 the eggs to hatch. The young give warning by a slight 

 barking noise when they are ready to come out, 

 upon hearing which the female removes the earth 

 from above them. After this they need no further 

 assistance. Most snakes bury their eggs in the ground 

 and incubate them; but there is an exception in the 

 case of the python. The female python jealously 

 guards her eggs by coiling her body around them. 

 This is done for about two and a half months, until 

 the eggs are hatched. Attempts have been made to 



