﻿bufo. 
  225 
  

  

  common 
  frog 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  two 
  European 
  

   types 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  least 
  individual 
  divergence 
  in 
  

   the 
  breeding-time. 
  Rollinat 
  also 
  reports 
  having 
  met 
  

   with 
  an 
  isolated 
  breeding 
  couple 
  near 
  Argenton, 
  in 
  

   France, 
  on 
  the 
  18th 
  of 
  June, 
  1893. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  

   1897 
  I 
  captured 
  a 
  pair 
  in 
  a 
  pond 
  at 
  Anseremme, 
  near 
  

   Dinant, 
  Belgium, 
  on 
  April 
  29th, 
  about 
  three 
  weeks 
  

   late 
  ; 
  the 
  female, 
  a 
  large 
  specimen, 
  spawned 
  the 
  

   following 
  day. 
  

  

  Eggs. 
  — 
  Small, 
  1| 
  to 
  2 
  mm. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  entirely 
  black, 
  

   in 
  regular 
  files 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  (two 
  when 
  stretched), 
  

   in 
  long 
  mucilaginous 
  strings 
  looking 
  like 
  glass 
  tubes. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  83. 
  

  

  

  •W* 
  r 
  &*9tM*£* 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  number 
  4972 
  to 
  6840 
  according 
  to 
  Heron- 
  

   Royer's 
  counting, 
  1911 
  to 
  4152 
  in 
  three 
  broods 
  

   counted 
  by 
  W. 
  Evans. 
  The 
  strings 
  measure 
  (with 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  in 
  double 
  file) 
  9 
  or 
  10 
  feet, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  

   stretched 
  out 
  to 
  a 
  much 
  greater 
  length. 
  The 
  egg 
  is 
  

   protected 
  by 
  a 
  second 
  mucilaginous 
  envelop 
  within 
  

   the 
  string. 
  The 
  mucilages 
  soon 
  partially 
  dissolve 
  

   and 
  release 
  the 
  embryo, 
  which, 
  so 
  to 
  say, 
  drops 
  out 
  

   before 
  it 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  execute 
  any 
  spontaneous 
  move- 
  

   ments, 
  before 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  external 
  gills 
  and 
  

   with 
  a 
  very 
  rudimentary 
  tail, 
  and 
  becomes 
  fixed 
  by 
  

   its 
  adhesive 
  subcephalic 
  apparatus 
  to 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  

   the 
  string, 
  on 
  which 
  long 
  lines 
  of 
  embryos 
  may 
  be 
  

   seen 
  hanging 
  motionless. 
  

  

  Tadpole 
  (PI. 
  II, 
  fig. 
  3). 
  — 
  Length 
  of 
  body 
  about 
  

   once 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  its 
  width, 
  and 
  three-fifths 
  to 
  two- 
  

   thirds 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  tail. 
  Nostrils 
  much 
  nearer 
  

   the 
  eyes 
  than 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  snout. 
  Eyes 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  Q 
  

  

  