﻿ALYTES. 
  169 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  The 
  life-history 
  of 
  this 
  Batracliian 
  is 
  one 
  

   of 
  great 
  interest, 
  but 
  difficnlt 
  to 
  observe 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  

   nocturnal 
  habits 
  and 
  shy 
  disposition. 
  First 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  parturition 
  by 
  Demours, 
  in 
  the 
  

   middle 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century, 
  on 
  the 
  border 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  

   pond 
  in 
  the 
  Jardin 
  des 
  Plantes, 
  we 
  have 
  had 
  to 
  wait 
  

   until 
  the 
  year 
  1876 
  for 
  a 
  truly 
  scientific 
  account, 
  

   based 
  on 
  exact 
  observations, 
  of 
  the 
  mode 
  of 
  oviposition 
  

   of 
  the 
  so-called 
  '' 
  crapaud 
  accoucheur 
  de 
  sa 
  femelle." 
  

  

  This 
  we 
  owe 
  to 
  that 
  most 
  excellent 
  and 
  patient 
  

   naturalist, 
  Arthur 
  de 
  I'lsle 
  du 
  Dreneiif, 
  who, 
  residing 
  

   near 
  Nantes, 
  in 
  a 
  locality 
  where 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  excep- 
  

   tionally 
  abundant, 
  spent 
  in 
  three 
  consecutive 
  years 
  

   more 
  than 
  fifty 
  nights 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  unravel 
  

   the 
  mystery, 
  and 
  whose 
  notes 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  spot 
  cover 
  

   250 
  foolscap 
  pages 
  of 
  small 
  handwriting. 
  The 
  account 
  

   given 
  hereafter 
  of 
  the 
  pairing 
  and 
  oviposition 
  is 
  com- 
  

   piled 
  from 
  that 
  source. 
  Although 
  I 
  have 
  stayed 
  at 
  

   places 
  where 
  Alyfes 
  is 
  not 
  uncommon, 
  and 
  have 
  made 
  

   nocturnal 
  excursions 
  with 
  a 
  lantern 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   witness 
  the 
  operation, 
  I 
  have, 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  most 
  

   herpetologists, 
  hitherto 
  failed 
  in 
  my 
  object. 
  

  

  Alijtes 
  is 
  nocturnal 
  and 
  slow 
  in 
  its 
  movements 
  ; 
  it 
  

   progresses 
  mostly 
  crawling, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  by 
  short 
  

   leaps, 
  even 
  when 
  embarrassed 
  with 
  the 
  eggs. 
  It 
  is 
  

   able 
  to 
  burrow 
  chiefly 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  fore 
  limbs, 
  but 
  

   usually 
  selects 
  for 
  its 
  retreat 
  holes 
  made 
  by 
  small 
  

   mammals, 
  or 
  interstices 
  between 
  stones. 
  Turning 
  

   over 
  large 
  stones 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  where 
  

   its 
  tadpole 
  attracts 
  notice, 
  is 
  the 
  surest 
  means 
  of 
  

   securing 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  daytime. 
  Towards 
  evening 
  

   it 
  reveals 
  its 
  presence 
  by 
  a 
  clear 
  whistling 
  note, 
  which 
  

   has 
  often 
  been 
  compared 
  to 
  the 
  sound 
  of 
  a 
  little 
  bell, 
  

   or 
  to 
  a 
  chime 
  when 
  produced 
  by 
  numerous 
  individuals. 
  

  

  The 
  breeding 
  season 
  lasts 
  throughout 
  spring 
  and 
  

   summer, 
  and 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  spawn 
  two, 
  three, 
  

   or 
  even 
  four 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  The 
  season 
  seems, 
  

   however, 
  at 
  its 
  height 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  June 
  in 
  the 
  plain 
  ; 
  

   later, 
  of 
  course, 
  in 
  the 
  mountains. 
  

  

  