124 JONES ON REPTILIA OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



it is extremely agile and difficult to capture, taking amazing leaps 

 in its endeavours to escape. The half grown young are plentiful 

 on the sides of ponds during the summer, but they have not the 

 brilliant colours of the mature specimens. I have rarely seen them 

 resting in the water like R. fontinalis. I have observed them as 

 early as the 29th of April, sitting on the pond side, and as late as 

 the 4th of October in other places. The first specimens seen are 

 of a darker green on the back than those observed later in the 

 season. 



The species is common in most parts of North America, and is 

 known from the Hudson Bay Territory as far south as Mexico. 



Rana silvatica — Leconte Wood Frog. 



R. silvatica — Holb., N. Amer. Herpet, iv., pi. 24. 

 R. Pennsylvanica — Harl. 1. c. p. 60. 

 The habits of this species are unknown to me, as the only speci- 

 men I have captured was a young one during our field excursion at 

 Windsor, in the summer of 1863. I am indebted to Dr. Gilpin for 

 a fine specimen procured. 



Dr. Gunther in his catalogue of Batrachians gives this as merely 

 a variety of the European Rana temporaria, the tympanum being 

 generally but not always rather larger in the European specimens. 



This species has been observed as far north as the Great Bear 

 Lake in the Hudson Bay Territory. 



Genus — BUFO, Linn. 



Bufo Americanus — Harlan American Toad. 



B. Americanus — Holb., N. Amer. Herpet, v. t. 4. 

 B. musicus — Harl. Ac. Nat. Sc, vol. v., p. 344. 

 This poor, despised, yet useful creature, looked upon with 

 horror by most people, is one of the farmer's and gardener's best 

 friends. Sallying forth from his mid-day retreat at eventide, he 

 searches the paths and other likely spots where slugs and worms 

 are wont to move, and revels in the gardens where this welcome 

 food is most abundant. Although nocturnal in habit it is by no 

 means exclusively so, for I have often taken them in the day time, 

 both in the forest and clearing. It is not, however, so active in the 

 day time as at night, and I imagine its appearance in broad daylight 

 is more owina: to disturbance than a natural desire to seek for food 



