﻿188 
  PELOBATID^. 
  

  

  female 
  the 
  elbows 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  join 
  on 
  the 
  pubic 
  region, 
  

   and 
  the 
  forearms 
  are 
  carried 
  forwards, 
  pressed 
  against 
  

   the 
  middle 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  belly, 
  the 
  hands 
  meeting 
  without 
  

   intercrossing 
  the 
  fingers. 
  Sometimes, 
  however, 
  the 
  

   embrace 
  is 
  less 
  close, 
  the 
  elbows 
  fitting 
  into 
  the 
  groins, 
  

   and 
  the 
  forearms 
  forming 
  an 
  angle 
  on 
  the 
  belly. 
  The 
  

   pairing 
  is 
  usually 
  of 
  short 
  duration, 
  a 
  few 
  hours 
  only, 
  

  

  Fig. 
  70. 
  

  

  Lower 
  view 
  of 
  male 
  and 
  female 
  pairing. 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  male 
  will, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  let 
  go 
  if 
  handled. 
  Speci- 
  

   mens 
  kept 
  in 
  confinement 
  by 
  me 
  last 
  winter 
  paired 
  in 
  

   January, 
  and 
  remained 
  together 
  for 
  nearly 
  three 
  weeks. 
  

  

  Stagnant 
  water 
  of 
  all 
  sorts 
  is 
  resorted 
  to 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  spawning, 
  provided 
  it 
  be 
  furnished 
  with 
  

   vegetation, 
  preferably 
  Graminacea, 
  round 
  the 
  stems 
  

   of 
  which 
  the 
  bands 
  of 
  ova 
  are 
  twined. 
  

  

  The 
  larvse 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  broods 
  transform 
  in 
  July 
  

   and 
  August 
  ; 
  but 
  late 
  offspring 
  of 
  course 
  hibernate 
  

   in 
  the 
  larval 
  condition, 
  and 
  tadpoles 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  

   found 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  Males 
  are 
  more 
  frequent 
  than 
  females; 
  out 
  of 
  150 
  

   specimens 
  collected 
  by 
  Lataste 
  in 
  the 
  Gironde 
  during 
  

   the 
  spring 
  of 
  1877, 
  only 
  20 
  were 
  female. 
  

  

  