^28 MR. T. M. S. EXOLISII OX TASMAXIAX FROGS. [Apr. 5, 



Two other frogs, Lhnnodi/nastes ppronii ami Jh/Ja peronii, 

 have been credited to Ta.siiiania, in both cvses on the strength of 

 single specimens presented to the J3ritisli Museum l)v Sir A. 

 Smith before 1858. Here, again, tlie evidence of locality seems 

 doubtful. Jiut in a mountainous and forest-clad country, frogs, 

 liowever abundant they may be, are difficult to find, and it is only 

 a small portion of Tasmania that has been explored for them at 

 all ; so that it is quite possible that these and perhaps other 

 s})ecies may exist. 



Tlie Tasmanian climate is on the whole mild and even, Avith 

 regular seasons. Its winter resend)les that experienced in the 

 south of Europe, though the mean temperature of summer is not 

 higher in Tasmania than it is in the north of France. The 

 rainfall is distributed over the year, and the droughts of the 

 Australian mainland are unknown. 



This climate allows the frogs of Tasmania to breed at almost 

 any time ; so that it is nearly always possible to find tadpoles in 

 any suitable pond. But each species seems on the whole to keep 

 to its own particular season. 



Taking the species in order : — 



1. LiMXODYXASTES TASMANiExsis. (Plate LT. figs. 1, 2.) 



] found this frog abundantly in the neighltourhood of TJoliart 

 in the south-east, and towai'ds the north, around Launceston and 

 Westbury. These places have a .smaller rainfall than the average 

 for the island. On the north-west coast, where, at Uherstone and 

 ]>evonport, there is sufficient rain for tree-ferns near sea-level, J 

 did not find it. 



The stone, or log, under which it makes its home during the day, 

 is usually in a somewhat moist place, but Lunnodynastes tasiamii- 

 ensis is decidedly terrestrial in its habits. I never found a single 

 inilividual in the water, and if thrown in it at once makes for the 

 bank, swinnning badly. 



A well marked specimen of this fi*og is a really beautifid 

 creature : light brown inclining to yellow, or occasionally pink, 

 with large and regularly placed spots, which may be either ricii 

 dark brown or green, with or without a lighter edging. From 

 this coloration it may vary to an alnuxst uniform dark bi-own, 

 sometimes looking almost black. The dorsal stripe is generally 

 bi-iglit yellow. 



1 found onea.t Westbury, towards the end of summer (Fel>ruary 

 11102), whose dorsal stripe was of a brilliant orange, almost red 

 ((•/'. colour variations of Jli/la ewhi(jii and Crlnla ttijuifera from 

 the same jilace). 



I was not able to determine satisfactorily the note of Limno- 

 di/iiastrs tcinmamensis, though a noise like two stones being sharply 

 sti-uck together, which 1 repeatedly heard from a heap of loose 

 rock on the bank of llie North Ksk, near Launceston, in April, 

 15)01, must have come fiom either this species or Ui/la aurea. 

 Nuudjers of both were under the stones, but no other frogs. 



