﻿ALYTES. 
  171 
  

  

  knee 
  to 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  sacrum, 
  and 
  stretching 
  it 
  out 
  

   again, 
  he 
  passes 
  it, 
  toes 
  first, 
  into 
  the 
  egg-mass; 
  the 
  

   other 
  limb 
  follows 
  in 
  like 
  manner. 
  These 
  movements 
  

   are 
  repeated 
  several 
  times, 
  and 
  accompanied 
  by 
  one 
  

   or 
  two 
  seminal 
  ejaculations. 
  Thus 
  the 
  strings 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   come 
  to 
  be 
  fastened 
  round 
  the 
  legs, 
  where 
  they 
  will 
  

   remain 
  until 
  eclosion. 
  All 
  the 
  time 
  this 
  operation 
  has 
  

   lasted, 
  about 
  ten 
  minutes, 
  the 
  female 
  has 
  remained 
  

   motionless, 
  still 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  eggs 
  by 
  the 
  last 
  

   elastic 
  filaments 
  from 
  the 
  oviducts. 
  These 
  two 
  threads 
  

   stretch 
  to 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  4 
  to 
  12 
  inches 
  before 
  breaking 
  

   when 
  the 
  pair 
  separates. 
  

  

  Thus 
  laden, 
  and 
  yet 
  so 
  little 
  impeded 
  in 
  his 
  

   movements 
  as 
  to 
  occasionally 
  resort 
  again 
  to 
  hymen 
  

   during 
  the 
  nursing 
  period, 
  and 
  successfully 
  add 
  

   on 
  a 
  second 
  burden, 
  the 
  male 
  reth^es 
  to 
  his 
  usual 
  

   retreat, 
  going 
  about 
  at 
  night 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  feed 
  him- 
  

   self 
  and 
  to 
  keep 
  up 
  the 
  moisture 
  of 
  the 
  eggs, 
  even 
  

   resorting 
  to 
  a 
  short 
  immersion 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  during 
  

   exceptionally 
  dry 
  nights. 
  The 
  development 
  within 
  

   the 
  egg 
  takes 
  about 
  three 
  weeks, 
  sometimes 
  a 
  little 
  

   less, 
  often 
  a 
  little 
  more. 
  The 
  male 
  enters 
  the 
  water 
  

   with 
  his 
  burden 
  ; 
  the 
  larvse, 
  in 
  the 
  full 
  tadpole 
  con- 
  

   dition, 
  measuring 
  14 
  to 
  1 
  7 
  mm., 
  bite 
  their 
  way 
  through 
  

   the 
  tough 
  envelop, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  abandoned 
  by 
  the 
  

   father 
  until 
  all 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  liberated. 
  

  

  The 
  tadpole 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  summer, 
  at 
  all 
  

   stages 
  of 
  development, 
  in 
  small 
  reservoirs, 
  cow-ponds, 
  

   flooded 
  quarries, 
  pits 
  in 
  brick-fields, 
  &c. 
  The 
  tadpoles 
  

   of 
  the 
  late 
  broods 
  hibernate 
  under 
  the 
  ice, 
  concealed 
  

   in 
  recesses 
  but 
  not 
  torpid. 
  Some 
  specimens, 
  at 
  least 
  

   in 
  confinement, 
  remain 
  nearly 
  two 
  years 
  before 
  trans- 
  

   forming, 
  but, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  larvae 
  born 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   accomplish 
  their 
  metamorphosis 
  within 
  three 
  to 
  five 
  

   months. 
  The 
  duration 
  of 
  the 
  larval 
  life 
  varies, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  in 
  individuals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  brood; 
  and 
  as 
  such 
  as 
  

   have 
  not 
  sufiBciently 
  developed 
  their 
  limbs 
  to 
  take 
  to 
  

   the 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  have 
  necessarily 
  to 
  post- 
  

   pone 
  the 
  metamorphosis 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  spring, 
  it 
  

  

  