﻿PAIRING 
  AND 
  OVIPOSITION. 
  ^"7 
  

  

  The 
  Natterjack 
  toad, 
  B. 
  calamita, 
  also 
  often 
  pairs 
  on 
  

   land, 
  and 
  being 
  a 
  bad 
  swimmer, 
  and 
  only 
  spawning 
  at 
  

   niglit, 
  numbers 
  in 
  embrace 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  day- 
  

   time 
  in 
  holes 
  on 
  the 
  banks, 
  their 
  presence 
  being 
  

   revealed 
  by 
  their 
  loud 
  croak. 
  The 
  tree-frogs 
  usuall}^ 
  

   pair 
  only 
  at 
  night 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  evening. 
  Thoroughly 
  

   aquatic 
  species 
  like 
  Bomhinator 
  and 
  Rana 
  esculenta 
  

   resort, 
  of 
  course, 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  before 
  mating. 
  

  

  Ahjtes, 
  the 
  most 
  terrestrial 
  of 
  European 
  Batrachiaus, 
  

   pairs 
  and 
  oviposits 
  on 
  land. 
  The 
  female 
  never 
  goes 
  

   into 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  the 
  male 
  contents 
  himself 
  with 
  a 
  

   hip-bath 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  releasing 
  his 
  progeny 
  from 
  

   the 
  egg-capsules 
  entrusted 
  to 
  his 
  care. 
  

  

  Species 
  differ 
  greatly 
  in 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  a 
  site 
  for 
  

   their 
  nursery. 
  Alytes 
  exercises 
  the 
  greatest 
  judg- 
  

   ment, 
  avoiding 
  ponds 
  or 
  pools 
  already 
  largely 
  stocked 
  

   with 
  tadpoles 
  of 
  other 
  species, 
  or 
  any 
  water 
  which 
  is 
  

   not 
  permanent. 
  The 
  common 
  toad 
  and 
  the 
  tree- 
  

   frog, 
  also, 
  are 
  judicious 
  in 
  their 
  choice, 
  and 
  their 
  

   offspring 
  are 
  never 
  doomed 
  through 
  drying 
  up 
  of 
  the 
  

   site 
  selected, 
  an 
  eventuality 
  which 
  the 
  common 
  frog 
  

   and 
  the 
  Natterjack 
  toad 
  do 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   foresee. 
  The 
  latter 
  species 
  especially 
  often 
  spawns 
  

   in 
  roadside 
  ditches 
  and 
  puddles 
  of 
  a 
  most 
  temporary 
  

   nature, 
  although 
  suitable 
  places 
  may 
  be 
  near 
  by, 
  and 
  

   we 
  often 
  find 
  masses 
  of 
  their 
  young 
  tadpoles 
  accumu- 
  

   lated 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  hole 
  with 
  scarcely 
  any 
  water 
  left, 
  

   exposed 
  to 
  the 
  sun 
  -rays, 
  where 
  they 
  must 
  perish 
  unless 
  

   saved 
  by 
  a 
  timely 
  rainfall. 
  Frost 
  often 
  destroys 
  the 
  

   brood 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  frog. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  observed 
  by 
  Heron-Roy 
  er, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  

   more 
  than 
  once 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  verify 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  

   different 
  species 
  which 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  water 
  some- 
  

   how 
  manage 
  to 
  keep 
  clear 
  of 
  each 
  other. 
  In 
  a 
  pond 
  

   near 
  Paris 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  author 
  found 
  Rana 
  

   temporaria 
  occupying 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  west, 
  Rana 
  agilis 
  

   and 
  Bufo 
  vulgaris 
  the 
  north-east, 
  Pelodytes 
  punctatus 
  

   the 
  south-east, 
  and 
  Hyla 
  arborea 
  the 
  south, 
  east, 
  and 
  

   west. 
  In 
  this 
  country, 
  where 
  Rana 
  temporaria 
  and 
  

  

  