﻿PAIRING 
  AND 
  OVIPOSITION. 
  65 
  

  

  Even 
  in 
  this 
  category 
  there 
  are 
  occasional 
  excep- 
  

   tions. 
  Such 
  are 
  the 
  cases 
  recorded 
  by 
  Martin 
  and 
  

   Rollinat 
  and 
  W. 
  Evans, 
  of 
  single 
  couples 
  of 
  the 
  

   common 
  toad 
  fonnd 
  breeding 
  near 
  Argenton, 
  in 
  

   France, 
  on 
  the 
  18tli 
  June, 
  and 
  near 
  Edinburgh 
  on 
  

   the 
  13th 
  June, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  months 
  after 
  the 
  other 
  

   individuals 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  localities 
  had 
  deposited 
  their 
  

   spawn 
  and 
  left 
  the 
  water. 
  These 
  exceptional 
  cases 
  

   are 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  some 
  accident 
  having 
  prevented 
  

   the 
  female 
  from 
  resorting 
  to 
  the 
  breeding-place 
  at 
  

   the 
  proper 
  time. 
  Males, 
  we 
  know, 
  may 
  long 
  retain 
  

   their 
  genital 
  ardour, 
  so 
  many 
  of 
  them, 
  owing 
  to 
  their 
  

   excess 
  in 
  numbers, 
  being 
  unable 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  mate. 
  

  

  We 
  next 
  find 
  species 
  which 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  

   have 
  a 
  short 
  breeding 
  season, 
  but 
  which 
  do 
  not 
  con- 
  

   gregate 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  ensemble, 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  

   genital 
  products 
  not 
  being 
  the 
  same 
  at 
  a 
  given 
  time 
  

   in 
  all 
  the 
  individuals. 
  In 
  these 
  species 
  the 
  female 
  

   does 
  not, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  enter 
  the 
  water 
  until 
  ready 
  to 
  

   spawn, 
  and 
  the 
  embrace 
  is, 
  in 
  consequence, 
  of 
  short 
  

   duration, 
  often 
  taking 
  place 
  only 
  at 
  night. 
  To 
  this 
  

   category 
  belong 
  Pelohates, 
  Pelodytes, 
  Ryla, 
  and 
  Rana 
  

   agilis. 
  The 
  males 
  are 
  not, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  animated 
  with 
  

   the 
  same 
  frenzy 
  as 
  we 
  observe 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  type, 
  and 
  

   will 
  often 
  let 
  go 
  the 
  females 
  wlien 
  disturbed 
  or 
  

   handled. 
  

  

  A 
  third 
  category 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  Biifo 
  calamita, 
  

   Bufo 
  viridis, 
  and 
  Rana 
  esmdenta, 
  which 
  spawn 
  but 
  

   once 
  a 
  year, 
  but 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  of 
  which 
  extends 
  

   over 
  a 
  longer 
  period, 
  viz. 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  months, 
  within 
  

   the 
  same 
  district, 
  with 
  an 
  ultimum 
  mostly 
  depending 
  

   on 
  the 
  weather. 
  

  

  Lastly, 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  Discoglossidse, 
  

   and 
  apparently 
  also 
  some 
  individuals 
  of 
  Pelodytes, 
  are 
  

   able 
  to 
  breed 
  twice 
  or 
  more 
  every 
  year. 
  Bomhinator 
  

   spawns 
  first 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  summer, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  August 
  or 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  September 
  ; 
  

   Biscoglossus 
  and 
  Alytes 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  times 
  

   at 
  distant 
  intervals 
  during 
  the 
  warmer 
  months, 
  the 
  

  

  