﻿148 
  

  

  DISCOGLOSSID^. 
  

  

  

  EASUEEMENTS 
  OF 
  SKELETON 
  (ill 
  millimetres) 
  

  

  

  s 
  

  

  ? 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  skull 
  

  

  13 
  

  

  11 
  

  

  Width 
  of 
  skull 
  

  

  

  14 
  

  

  12 
  

  

  Least 
  interorbital 
  width 
  

  

  

  2-5 
  

  

  2-5 
  

  

  Dorsal 
  vertebral 
  colnmn 
  

  

  

  16 
  

  

  15 
  

  

  Urostyle 
  

  

  

  13 
  

  

  12 
  

  

  Humerus 
  

  

  

  

  9 
  

  

  8 
  

  

  Radius-ulna 
  

  

  

  

  7 
  

  

  G 
  

  

  Manus 
  

  

  

  

  10 
  

  

  9 
  

  

  Pelvis 
  y 
  

  

  

  

  20 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  Femur 
  

  

  

  

  14 
  

  

  13 
  

  

  Tibia 
  

  

  

  

  13 
  

  

  12 
  

  

  Tarsus 
  

  

  

  

  9 
  

  

  8 
  

  

  Pes 
  

  

  

  

  18 
  

  

  16 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  Tliis 
  species 
  is 
  diurnal 
  and 
  thoroughly 
  

   aquatic 
  during 
  its 
  period 
  of 
  activity, 
  being 
  found 
  in 
  

   small 
  ponds 
  or 
  pools 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  grass 
  on 
  the 
  

   borders. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  agile 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  proceeds 
  

   by 
  small 
  leaps 
  on 
  land. 
  It 
  likes 
  to 
  rest 
  near 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  spread-out 
  limbs, 
  nothing 
  

   but 
  the 
  eyes 
  and 
  nose 
  emerging, 
  and 
  dives 
  to 
  con- 
  

   ceal 
  itself 
  in 
  holes 
  or 
  under 
  stones 
  or 
  bury 
  in 
  the 
  

   mud 
  when 
  disturbed. 
  I 
  found 
  it 
  pairing 
  near 
  Berlin 
  

   in 
  the 
  latter 
  half 
  of 
  May. 
  The 
  male 
  embraces 
  the 
  

   female 
  round 
  the 
  waist, 
  and, 
  swelling 
  out 
  its 
  throat, 
  

   utters 
  at 
  short 
  intervals 
  a 
  somewhat 
  powerful 
  and 
  

   melancholy 
  note, 
  hooJc, 
  hooJc, 
  or 
  hoonlc, 
  lioonli, 
  whence 
  

   the 
  name 
  *' 
  Unke 
  " 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  known 
  in 
  

   Germany. 
  The 
  pairing 
  season 
  extends 
  over 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  months, 
  and 
  Heron-Royer 
  has 
  ascertained 
  that 
  the 
  

   female 
  spawns 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  at 
  distant 
  

   intervals. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  produced 
  singly 
  or 
  a 
  few 
  at 
  

   a 
  time, 
  and 
  become 
  fixed 
  by 
  their 
  gelatinous 
  capsules 
  

   to 
  submerged 
  grass 
  or 
  other 
  weeds 
  ; 
  this 
  operation 
  is 
  

   performed 
  slowly, 
  and 
  may 
  last 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  

   days, 
  wath 
  several 
  hours' 
  interruption. 
  

  

  Males 
  appear 
  to 
  reach 
  sexual 
  maturity 
  much 
  sooner 
  

   than 
  females. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  pairing 
  male 
  specimens 
  

   not 
  more 
  than 
  28 
  mm. 
  long 
  from 
  snout 
  to 
  vent, 
  

  

  althouofh 
  the 
  

  

  young 
  

  

  that 
  have 
  just 
  completed 
  the 
  

  

  metamorphosis 
  measure 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  15 
  to 
  20. 
  

  

  