1907.] 



NEW AMAZONIAN TREE-FROG. 



139 



water and other liquids are preserved fi'esh in vessels varnished 

 with pitch, and in like manner the rain-water which fills these 

 resinous breeding-bowls presents excellent conditions for the 

 hatching and develojjment of the eggs and tadpoles, such as shade 

 and freshness of water without contamination of decayed wood. 

 Without having had as yet the good fortune to verify it by dii'ect 

 observation, I have abundant reason to suppose that the develop- 

 ment stage of the tadpoles is exceedingly brief, analogous with 

 the case of Hyla goeldii Boulenger in the )Serra dos Orgaos, Hyla 

 venulosa in Para, and others. 



Text-fig-. 59. 



Breeding-basin of Hyla resinijictrix, seen from above (from a pliotograpb). 



One very interesting feature is the fact that this Amazonian 

 tree-frog goes in search of the material with which to build the 

 basin, and chooses for the purpose odorous resins which drop from 

 the bark of certain trees, such as the aromatic " breo-branco " 

 (Frotiiom he2)ta2}hyllu')n') and others. 



Although the resin of the " cunnuarti " is well-known to the 

 Indians and mixed races in the Amazonian valley, constituting a 

 commodity much sought for and of high price, the tree-frog 

 itself was entirely unknown to all except the genuine forest- 

 dwelling Indians. In spite of strenuous efiorts it took me more 

 than ten years to get on the track of this most mysterious 

 Batrachian, and if finally my efforts were crowned with sviccess, 

 it was largely due to the friendly aid of the Tembe Indians at the 

 Mission of Santo Antonio do Praia, at the River Maracana (interior 

 of the State of ParA), by the kind interest of Frei Daniel de 



