BROWN TREE-FROG. 361 



golden brown tint, like sun-rays shining through 

 tortoiseshell. This specimen was about as large as 

 a middling English Frog, being two inches and a 

 quarter in length.* 



While in captivity, if unmolested, it spent a good 

 deal of time motionless, squatting flat and close, with 

 shut eyes, as if sleeping ; but sometimes it was active. 

 I kept it in a basin covered with a pane of glass, for 

 facility of observation. It would keep its face op- 

 posite the window, altering its position pertinaciously 

 if the basin was turned, though ever so gently. It 

 took no notice of cockroaches, nor of a large flesh- 

 fly, which buzzed about it, and even crawled over its 

 nose. If taken in the hand, it struggled vigorously, 

 so as to be with difiiculty held : once or twice, while 

 thus struggling, it uttered a feeble squeak ; but if still 

 retained, it would at length inflate the abdomen with 

 air, apparently a sign of anger. It leaped, but not far. 



* This seems to be an undescribed species, agreeing with Hyla 

 xerophylla (Dum. and Bibr. ) in many points, but differing from it in 

 others. It may be thus described. 



Hyla hrunnea, mihi. The Brown Tree-frog. Length of head \ in. ; 

 breadth of head j'g ; trunk, length, 1^; breadth ^^g ; fore limbli; 

 hind limb 3^; (thigh and shank, each 1^; foot 1^;) pallettes cir- 

 cular, those of middle finger and toe \ in. in diameter. Head broad, 

 flat, semi-oval, rough with minute granulations ; eyes large and very 

 prominent ; canthus rostralis forming rather more than a right angle ; 

 frenal regions not so high as the cheeks. Tongue very large, heart- 

 shaped, notched behind ; a longitudinal depression extends about half 

 way from the notch to the front ; another longitudinal depression is on 

 each side near the margin ; scarcely at all free behind. Vomerine 

 teeth in two small semi-circular ranges, between the internal nostrils. 

 Tympanum nearly circular, its diameter about half that of the eye. 

 The palmation and other particulars as in H. xerophylla. Colours 

 described in the text. 



R 



