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  DISCOGLOSSID^. 
  

  

  follows 
  that 
  whereas 
  some 
  may 
  have 
  spent 
  only 
  three 
  

   or 
  four 
  months 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  their 
  brothers 
  will 
  

   sojourn 
  for 
  a 
  wbole 
  year 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  that 
  element. 
  

   Young 
  reared 
  by 
  me 
  measured, 
  immediately 
  after 
  meta- 
  

   morphosis, 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  22 
  mm. 
  from 
  snout 
  to 
  vent. 
  

  

  Eggs. 
  — 
  Large, 
  the 
  vitellus 
  measuring 
  3^ 
  to 
  5 
  mm. 
  in 
  

   diameter, 
  varying 
  in 
  colour 
  from 
  pale 
  straw-yellow 
  to 
  

   bright 
  yellow. 
  They 
  are 
  coated 
  with 
  

   Fig. 
  63. 
  two 
  transparent 
  gelatinous 
  envelojDS, 
  

  

  the 
  outer 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  tough 
  and 
  elastic, 
  

   and 
  forms 
  the 
  threads 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  connected 
  in 
  two 
  rosary-like 
  series 
  

   as 
  they 
  issue 
  from 
  the 
  cloaca. 
  These 
  

   connecting 
  threads 
  measure, 
  without 
  

   great 
  tension, 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  7 
  mm., 
  and 
  

   accordino' 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  eo'o's, 
  which 
  

   varies 
  between 
  18 
  and 
  54, 
  the 
  whole 
  

   rosary 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  70 
  cm. 
  to 
  2 
  m. 
  Males 
  observed 
  

   by 
  Geisenheyner 
  and 
  Melsheimer 
  with 
  126 
  and 
  lf50 
  

   eggs 
  were 
  no 
  doubt 
  nursing 
  double 
  or 
  treble 
  broods. 
  

   When 
  fresh 
  laid 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  nearly 
  spherical, 
  

   but 
  they 
  soon 
  acquire 
  a 
  more 
  transversely 
  oval 
  

   shape. 
  Through 
  the 
  transparent 
  capsules 
  the 
  

   whole 
  development 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  followed. 
  An 
  

   enormously 
  large 
  vitelline 
  sac 
  is 
  present, 
  and 
  the 
  em- 
  

   bryo 
  develops 
  uncommonly 
  long, 
  unpigmented 
  gills, 
  

   one 
  only 
  on 
  each 
  side, 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  slender 
  

   branches 
  alono- 
  the 
  ventral 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  trunk. 
  These 
  

  

  o 
  

  

  gills 
  are 
  absorbed 
  and 
  replaced 
  by 
  internal 
  ones, 
  and 
  

   the 
  transformations 
  which 
  accompany 
  the 
  passage 
  from 
  

   the 
  first 
  or 
  embryonic 
  to 
  the 
  second 
  or 
  tadpole 
  period 
  

   are 
  all 
  effected 
  within 
  the 
  egg-capsules. 
  The 
  embryos 
  

   are 
  at 
  first 
  uniform 
  yellowish-white 
  ; 
  the 
  pigment, 
  

   when 
  it 
  appears, 
  forms 
  two 
  brown 
  stripes, 
  but 
  before 
  

   hatching 
  the 
  little 
  tadpole 
  has 
  put 
  on 
  his 
  grey, 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  spotted 
  coloration. 
  

  

  Tadpole 
  (PI. 
  I, 
  figs. 
  4 
  and 
  5). 
  — 
  Length 
  of 
  body 
  once 
  

   and 
  one-third 
  to 
  once 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  its 
  width, 
  two-fifths 
  

   to 
  one-half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  tail. 
  Nostrils 
  nearly 
  

  

  