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  discoglgssidj:. 
  

  

  window. 
  Discoglossus 
  cannot 
  be 
  described 
  as 
  mute, 
  

   but 
  its 
  voice 
  is 
  certainly 
  tlie 
  feeblest 
  among 
  all 
  our 
  

   members 
  of 
  tbe 
  tailless 
  tribe. 
  

  

  The 
  pairing 
  season 
  extends 
  from 
  January, 
  in 
  

   Algeria, 
  to 
  September 
  and 
  October, 
  and 
  tbe 
  female 
  

   is 
  able 
  to 
  spawn 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  The 
  

   embrace, 
  which 
  never 
  lasts 
  long, 
  is 
  lumbar, 
  the 
  

  

  Fig. 
  52. 
  

  

  Male 
  and 
  female 
  pairing. 
  

  

  male's 
  hands 
  joining 
  on 
  the 
  pubic 
  region. 
  The 
  re- 
  

   markably 
  small 
  eggs 
  are 
  produced 
  slowly, 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  

   time, 
  and 
  feebly 
  adhere 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  pool 
  or 
  

   tank, 
  where 
  they 
  form 
  a 
  single 
  layer, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   closely 
  set. 
  Only 
  exceptionally 
  have 
  I 
  found 
  eggs 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  weeds 
  with 
  which 
  I 
  had 
  furnished 
  the 
  

   small 
  tank 
  in 
  the 
  terrarium, 
  the 
  pair 
  keeping 
  to 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  during 
  oviposifcion. 
  The 
  spermatozoa, 
  which 
  

   from 
  their 
  large 
  size 
  can 
  be 
  detected 
  with 
  the 
  naked 
  

   eye, 
  are 
  ejaculated 
  in 
  several 
  bundles. 
  

  

  The 
  larvae, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  live 
  only 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  

   months 
  before 
  transforming, 
  and 
  keep 
  small, 
  being 
  in 
  

   this 
  respect 
  comparable 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  toad 
  ; 
  

   but 
  tadpoles 
  born 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  may 
  remain 
  for 
  

   nine 
  or 
  ten 
  months 
  in 
  that 
  condition. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  which 
  I 
  received 
  from 
  Algeria 
  in 
  January 
  

   and 
  February, 
  1897, 
  although 
  in 
  apparently 
  excellent 
  

   health 
  and 
  readily 
  feeding 
  on 
  worms 
  and 
  insects, 
  did 
  

  

  