44 THE PIP A. 



other, and somewhat irregularly ranged. At a cer- 

 tain period of incubation, if it may be so called, in 

 each of these shells is found a little live Toad, an 

 exact miniature in all respects of its parent ; but 

 how it finds subsistence there (for the creature has 

 no adhesion to the parent, but may be easily taken 

 out, as from a case, and again replaced without in- 

 jury) does not seem as yet to be fully ascertained. 

 Mr. Ferman, who has described this animal, de- 

 clares himself to have been an eye-witness to the 

 procedure. The eggs are generated within the fe- 

 male, who, when they have attained the proper 

 degree of maturity, deposits them on the ground. 

 The male amasses together the heap, and deposits 

 them, with great care, on the back of the female, 

 where after impregnation they are pressed into the 

 cellules, which are at that period open for their re~ 

 ception, and afterwards close over them. The ova 

 remain in the cellules till the second birth, which 

 takes place in somewhat less than three months, 

 when the young emerge from the back of the pa- 

 rent, completely formed. During the time of con- 

 cealment they undergo the usual change of the 

 rest of the genus, into the tadpole state, which 

 they entirely put off before their final extrusion. 



In this singular production of young, the Pipa 

 seems to bear considerable analogy to the different 

 species of Opossum. 



Ferman says that the Pipa is only calculated for 

 having one breed. The number of young produced 

 by a female that he observed was seventy-five ; and 



