﻿64 
  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  IX. 
  Pairing 
  and 
  Oviposition. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  often 
  stated 
  in 
  books 
  tliat, 
  in 
  temperate 
  

   climates 
  at 
  least, 
  tailless 
  Batrachians 
  have 
  a 
  fixed 
  

   annual 
  period 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  taking 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  winter 
  or 
  in 
  spring. 
  This 
  statement, 
  based 
  on 
  a 
  

   generalisation 
  of 
  the 
  familiar 
  phenomenon 
  presented 
  

   by 
  our 
  two 
  common 
  Northern 
  species, 
  Bana 
  tempo- 
  

   raria 
  and 
  Biifo 
  vulgaris, 
  is 
  erroneous, 
  individuals 
  of 
  

   some 
  species 
  — 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  Dlscoglossidde, 
  for 
  

   instance 
  — 
  breeding 
  several 
  times 
  a 
  year, 
  at 
  distant 
  

   intervals 
  ; 
  and 
  between 
  these 
  two 
  extreme 
  types 
  we 
  

   bave 
  almost 
  every 
  possible 
  gradation. 
  ^ 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  first 
  category, 
  to 
  which 
  Bitfo 
  vulgaris, 
  Bana 
  

   temporaria, 
  and 
  Bana 
  arvalis 
  belong, 
  the 
  pairing 
  

   season 
  is 
  of 
  short 
  duration, 
  and 
  although, 
  with 
  us, 
  

   dependent 
  on 
  atmospheric 
  conditions 
  and 
  regulated 
  

   by 
  the 
  rise 
  of 
  the 
  thermometer 
  rattier 
  than 
  by 
  the 
  

   calendar, 
  coincides 
  almost 
  to 
  a 
  day 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  in- 
  

   dividuals 
  under 
  equal 
  climatic 
  conditions. 
  The 
  males 
  

   are 
  endowed 
  with 
  genesic 
  fury 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  letting 
  

   themselves 
  be 
  mutilated 
  or 
  even 
  immersed 
  in 
  spirit 
  

   without 
  letting 
  go 
  their 
  mate, 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  cling 
  

   tightly 
  with 
  their 
  powerful 
  fore 
  limbs, 
  awaiting 
  the 
  

   expulsion 
  of 
  the 
  ova 
  to 
  discharge 
  on 
  them 
  their 
  

   seminal 
  fluid. 
  In 
  their 
  blind 
  frenzy 
  they 
  will 
  clasp 
  

   individuals 
  of 
  other 
  kinds, 
  even 
  fishes, 
  putrefied 
  

   corpses 
  of 
  females 
  that 
  have 
  succumbed 
  to 
  their 
  

   embrace, 
  or 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  floating 
  objects. 
  Common 
  

   toads 
  may 
  be 
  fished 
  by 
  holding 
  out 
  to 
  them 
  a 
  thick 
  

   stick, 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  cling 
  with 
  their 
  arms. 
  As 
  males 
  

   of 
  that 
  species 
  are 
  always 
  more 
  numerous 
  than 
  

   females, 
  great 
  fights 
  ensue, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  latter 
  

   sometimes 
  perish 
  under 
  the 
  pressure 
  of 
  several 
  of 
  

   their 
  would-be 
  possessors. 
  

  

  