496 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol, XXVIII, 
frog in water, but many females were heavily egg-bound in July and one is left. 
wondering whether fertilisation is effected in that element or not. 
Ivalus signatus.x—The X Castanet Frog. 
This attractive little species resembles the last very closely. It is quite as 
diminutive, brownish in colour, and is easily recognised by the large deep brown 
X onits back. Like the last I found it difficult to locate. In fact I failed to 
identify it from its note on my first visit to Coonoor. A second period of leave 
in mid-September 1920 gave me another opportunity, and my efforts were 
rewarded. 
Though not nearly so numerous as Ixalus variabilis its voice could be heard on 
all sides, and especially in gloomy dells, where tree ferns flourished. I found 
as soon as 1 approached one too closely he became tongue-tied—something akin to 
stage fright I suppose—and then the same contest of patience arose between us, 
at which I had been so badly defeated by the last species, signatus proved him- 
self as victorious an opponent as variabilis, and I wasted several days in wet 
surroundings, and was bitten to pieces by mosquitoes, before success crowned 
my eftorts. Then I adopted new tactics. My next manceuvre was to try and 
locate the little beggar as near as possible, and then go in and boldly shake the 
foliage, but there is something uncanny about the sound which makes one think 
at one moment it is at ground level, at another in low foliage, and after again 
twisting one’s head, somewhere at about the level of one’s face. My first success 
was due to sheer luck. I was trying the patience ‘‘ stunt ”’ with one that I had 
located in a flower bed but could not see. As I imagined it must be my visible 
presence that scared the frog, I secreted myself behind the trunk of a convenient 
tree within six feet from where I judged the sound to have emanated. After 
a long spell just when I was beginning to think froggie had done me down again, 
I was startled to hear a call close tomy head. I scanned that branch with every 
care, but failed to see this little wizard of the bush. I then gave the branch a 
brisk shake and something dropped on to the grass beneath. Was it a dead leaf ? 
No, itmoved. Thank Heaven, it jumped! Beingin the open [had the advan- 
tage, and a pretty little brown tree-frog was soon quartered in my match box. 
With great satisfaction I returned to my dumb-struck friend in the flower bed 
and started a systematic shaking of every plant, with the result that something 
jumped out of a Chrysanthemum halleri. In half a second I was in the middle 
of the bed. One second more and [had him. My match box was cautiously 
opened, and number two with a good deal of persuasion ‘‘’a posteriori ’? owing 
to the limited accommodation within, was securely imprisoned. 
So much for the sport, but what of the “ kill sports ?” This scene was enacted 
in Sim’s Park, the daily ‘‘ rendezvous”’ of multitudes of nursemaids with their 
charges (every colour variety of both known to India). As soon as I took up my 
quarters behind the tree I was evidently spotted by one of the lynx-eyed childzen 
who communicated the intelligence to others. The result was they jumped to 
the conclusion that I was playing a game of hide and seek, and they waited at 
first to ascertain who the children could be who would do the searching part of 
the business. No seekers arriving, curiosity impelled them to troop in twos and 
threes past me, not once but many times. Then one of the nursemaids, who had 
been for many minutes encircled by the stout arm of a ““Tommy” in a summer 
house, was told, and there was a sudden “ break away’’, and both got up and 
walked backwards and forwards in front of my tree, the Tommy trying to 
reassure himself that I was not one of his officers doing a spy on him. Then the 
policeman—usually a fixture at the gate—forsook his post, and peered at me, and 
appeared very suspicious and haunted my near vicinity. Later on a mali joined 
the policeman and there was much subdued conversation between them. When, 
therefore, at the climax I had leapt into the flower bed, and had captured my 
specimen, I found myself surrounded by all the “ kill sports ”’, and was in too 
