72 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



THE SQUIRREL TREE-TOAD. 



HyLA SaUIRELLA. 



PLATE XXI. FIG 63. — (CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 



Hyla scfuireUa. Bosc, NouT. Diet. Sc. Naturelles, Vol. 29, p. 543. 



RainHle sqtiirelle. Daddin, Hist. Nat. Rept. Vol. 8, p. 34, pi. 93, (ig. 2. 



H. squireUa. Le Conte, Ann. Lye. Vol. 1, p. 279. Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res. p. 109. 



H. id. HoLBEOOK, N. Am. Herpetology, Vol. J, p. 105, pi. 18. 



Characteristics. Brown or as]i. A dusky band from the nostrils to the eyes. The white of 

 the upper hp reaches ahnost to the insertion of tlie fore legs. Length one 

 inch and a quarter. 



Description. Body symmetrical, somewliat elongated. Skin smooth, or at the most with 

 slightly elevated papillEe. Head conic. Snout acute ; its sides vertical, and giving it a pyra- 

 midal form. Orbits somewhat elevated. Anterior feet short, four-toed. Hind legs long, 

 five-toed, semi-palmate ; all with rounded pellets at their extremities. 



Color. Brownish or light ash above, changing to light green ; blotched, and lined with dusky 

 stripes on the surface of the body in a very in-egular manner. On the anterior part, more 

 usually abbreviated longitudinal lines, and unequal sized blotches on its posterior portions. A 

 dusky stripe extends from the nostrils to the eyes ; occasionally a large triangular duskj' blotch 

 between and behind the e^-es. Thighs and legs barred with dusky. Beneath whitish. 



I have met with this species in the neighborhood of New-York, and supposed it at first to 

 be distinct from the southern squireUa. From a careful comparison of our specimens with 

 those in the Cabinet of the Lyceum deposited bv Major Le Conte, the only observable dis- 

 tinction was in the smaller size of the northern animal. After a rigorous comparison, Major 

 Le Conte decided it to be identical with the southern species. I am under obligations to him 

 lor the drawing which illustrates this pretty little tree-toad. 



According to Major Le Conte, it inhabits under logs and bark of decaying trees. 



While these pages are passing through the press. Dr. Holbrook is engaged in publisliing a 

 second edition of his Herpetology. He is still of the opinion that the squireUa is exclusively 

 a southern species. 



{EXTRA-LIMITAL.) 



H. femoralis. (Holbrook, Vol.4, pi. 31.) Dark ash, with a few dusky blotches between the eyes ; 



a black line from the eyes to the hind legs, and another to those in front. Lensfth li inches. 



Carolina and Georgia. 

 H. deliiescens. (Id. Vol. 4, pi. 32.) Ash, irregularly speckled with darker: hps whitish, speckled 



with brown; vent varied with cinereous. Length If inches. Georgia and South-Carolina. 

 H- viridis. (Id. Vol. 3, pi. 20; and Vol. 4, pi. 29 of 2d Ed.) Bright green, with a yellow line on 



each side from the snout to the posterior extremities. Length 1^ inches. From Lat. 30* N. to 



Mississippi. 



