﻿DISCOGLOSSUS. 
  

  

  135 
  

  

  

  c? 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  skull 
  

  

  20 
  

  

  Width 
  of 
  skull 
  

  

  24 
  

  

  Least 
  interorbital 
  width 
  . 
  

  

  4 
  

  

  Dorsal 
  vertebral 
  column 
  . 
  

  

  18 
  

  

  Urostyle 
  

  

  19 
  

  

  Humerus 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  Radius-ulna 
  

  

  11 
  

  

  Manus 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  Pelvis 
  

  

  27 
  

  

  Femur 
  

  

  26 
  

  

  Tibia 
  

  

  31 
  

  

  Tarsus 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  Pes 
  ... 
  

  

  25 
  

  

  Measurements 
  of 
  Skeleton 
  (in 
  millimetres). 
  

  

  ? 
  

  

  15 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  17 
  

   19 
  

   12 
  

   8 
  

   11 
  

   23 
  

   21 
  

   24 
  

   13 
  

   21 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  Discoglossus 
  jpictus 
  resembles 
  the 
  true 
  

   frogs 
  in 
  the 
  quickness 
  of 
  its 
  movements. 
  It 
  is 
  

   active 
  bj 
  day 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  by 
  night, 
  and 
  usually 
  found 
  

   in 
  or 
  about 
  water, 
  objecting 
  neither 
  to 
  brackish 
  pools 
  

   nor 
  to 
  cold 
  running 
  mountain 
  streams. 
  Like 
  its 
  

   relative 
  Bomhinator, 
  and 
  unlike 
  all 
  other 
  European 
  

   Ecaudates, 
  it 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  seize 
  its 
  prey 
  under 
  water, 
  in 
  

   the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  newts 
  do, 
  and 
  is 
  therefore 
  easily 
  

   fed 
  in 
  confinement 
  with 
  earthworms 
  dropped 
  into 
  

   the 
  tank 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  terrarium 
  must 
  be 
  provided. 
  

   Although 
  particularly 
  shy 
  when 
  handled, 
  it 
  does 
  well 
  

   in 
  captivity, 
  and 
  will 
  usually 
  take 
  food 
  immediately 
  on 
  

   arriving 
  after 
  a 
  long 
  journey 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  box. 
  When 
  

   seized 
  it 
  becomes 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  slimy 
  secretion, 
  

   which 
  renders 
  it 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  handle, 
  but 
  which 
  

   has 
  no 
  special 
  odour 
  nor 
  any 
  irritating 
  action 
  on 
  our 
  

   mucous 
  membranes, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  judge 
  from 
  experi- 
  

   ments 
  upon 
  myself. 
  Like 
  Lataste, 
  who 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  

   to 
  study 
  the 
  habits 
  in 
  captivity, 
  and 
  who 
  later 
  had 
  

   the 
  good 
  fortune 
  to 
  observe 
  this 
  Batrachian 
  in 
  a 
  wild 
  

   state 
  in 
  Algeria, 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  heard 
  the 
  rutting 
  male 
  

   produce 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  feeble 
  note, 
  sounding 
  to 
  my 
  ear 
  

   as 
  ha-a, 
  ha-a-a, 
  or 
  iva, 
  lua, 
  iva-iua-tua, 
  issued 
  in 
  rapid 
  

   succession, 
  although 
  specimens 
  have 
  repeatedly 
  paired 
  

   and 
  bred 
  in 
  my 
  terrarium. 
  But 
  according 
  to 
  Heron- 
  

   Eoyer, 
  specimens 
  under 
  his 
  observation 
  uttered 
  at 
  

   night 
  a 
  constantly 
  repeated 
  ra-a, 
  ra-a, 
  loud 
  enough 
  

   to 
  disturb 
  him 
  when 
  produced 
  in 
  a 
  yard 
  outside 
  his 
  

  

  