1910.] MR. T. M. S. EN'OLISII OX TASMAXIAX FROGS. 631 



perhaps a little more active than this last, but still is by no 

 means diflicvilt to catch. 



The colour of this species, in Northern Tasmnnin, does not 

 seem to vary much. Above it is light grey, becoming paler or 

 white vinderneath, where it is marbled with dark grey or black. 

 The " concealed surface " at the groin is pink marbled with black. 

 A breeding pair, near Devonport, had irregular brown blotches 

 on their backs, while the throat of the larger of the two was dull 

 yellow. 



This frog ma}' pei'haps be responsible for some of the chirping 

 which comes fi'om the haunts of the smaller Tasmanian batrachians, 

 but of this I was never able to assure myself. 



Its breeding habits nre peculiar. It does not deposit its eggs 

 in water, but in a smooth-sided undergroviud chamber, either 

 hollowed out or adapted by the parent frogs. 



On the 30th of March, 1902, one of these nests contained two 

 frogs as well as a mass of eggs. (I never fonnd moi-e than two 

 frogs of this species together : cf. Fseudojjhri/ne hibronii.) This 

 mass, after being put into water, held together for about a week ; 

 then the eggs separated. The tadpoles began to free themselves 

 on the 4th of May. Their colour during their earlier development 

 was a rather pale brown, but before leaving the egg they became 

 qnite dark. There was no appearance whatever of external gills ; 

 and while in the eggs the tadpoles did not move at all. 



5. PSEUDOPHRYNE BIBROXII. (Plate LI. fig. 7.) 



This little toad, the only known I'epresentative of the Bufonid^e 

 in Tasmania, seems to be widely distribnted over the island, for, 

 though I never saw one of them except in the antumn, when they 

 gather together for breediug, it was abundant whereA'er I hap- 

 pened to be at this time of the year : at Hobart, near Launceston, 

 and near Devonport, in March, April, and May, 1901, near this 

 last place in March and April, 1902, and at Perth in March, 

 1903. 



After rain at the end of March, 1901, they became abundant and 

 noisy near Launceston. I found over thirty packed closely together 

 under one log. 



This species is slow in its movements, and walks rather than 

 hops. In the water it seems perfectly helpless, and as, like Crin'm 

 l(p.vis, it leaves the necessary water for its tadpoles to be provided 

 by subsequent rain, and frequents dry hilly country, it is probably, 

 except for a short time as a tadpole, altogether terresti-ial. 



In colour it is dark brown above, occasionally almost black ; 

 beneath it is marbled, black and white or grey ; while those parts 

 of its legs which are usually concealed, except when it is walking, 

 are brilliant yellow and orange. There are indications of a yellow 

 vertebral stripe. 



The note of Pseudophrj/ne hihronii is a chirp, which I could not 

 distinguish from that of Crimasiginfera. As is the case with this 

 last frog, the number of singers genei'ally makes up for any 



