pickeeing's teee toad. 707 



marshes thus early in the season, and he therefore thought [that the 

 animal "had hybernated in that situation. Whether they spend the 

 winter in mud or old logs, they are found in marshes in early spring, 

 where they lay their eggs. Afterwards, in the latter part of April or in 

 May, they betake themselves to the woods. * 



The Tree Toad is also reported to be useful as a barometer. It is said 

 that, if they are placed in a tall jar, with a ladder in^'it, in fair weather 

 they will climb towards the top, but descend on the approach of a storm. 

 How true this may be, not having tried it, I have no means of judging, 

 and shall refrain from expressing any opinion on the subject. 



Hyla PiCKERiNaii Holbrook. 

 Pickerinir's Tree Toad. 



Bylodes pioTceringii, Holbrook, Storbk, DkKat. 

 Hyla pielceringii, LkConte, Copb, JoRDAifi. 



Color quite variable at the ■will of the animal : in general, reddish brown to fawn 

 above, with lines and spots or specks of darker, arranged upon the back in the form of 

 a cross; upper lip yellowish; legs above with transverse dark bars; posterior of the 

 body with a dusky blotch ; under parts white, with numerous dark spots : gular and 

 inframaxillary region yellowish; dark markings upon the animal often becoming in- 

 distinct ; eyes large ; pupils black ; irides golden ; tympanum small ; nostrils smaJl, nearer 

 the muzzle than the eye ; inner nares more widely separated than the outer ; a trans- 

 verse fold of the skin connecting the fore limbs on the under side ; body rather slender • 

 hind legs long; femur a trifle shorter than the tibia; thighs granulated beneath. 



Length, 1 inch; head to axilla, 10 lines; hind leg, 1^ inches; fore leg, 6J lines- 

 transverse diameter of head, 4 lines ; vertical diameter of head, 2J lines ; transverse 

 diameter of body, 4|; lines. 



Habitat, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania 

 Michigan to Cook county, Illinois. 



I have not seen this species from the State, and have included it here 

 solely on the extent of its extralimital range. It is found on bark of 

 dead trees and on leaves, such as Indian corn and grape vines, and in 

 green-houses. It has been observed in Maine to deposit its eggs in water 

 in April, and at other seasons occurred in upland or damp woods among 

 fallen leaves. 



FAMILY RANID^. THE FROGS. 



Posterior feet much longer than the anterior, in length exceeding the body ; fingers 

 four; toes five, simple, undilated at tips and broadly palmate; skin smooth; parotoids 

 none ; tongue large, fleshy, attached in front, emarginate and free behind ; vomero-pal- 

 atine teeth present ; maxillaries, a single row in the upper jaw ; ear well developed • 

 tail in young long and compressed ; sacral diapophy ses cylindrical ; epiooracoid present • 

 cuneiform bone somewhat prolonged, but not forming a spur; animals aquatic in the 

 main, inhabiting every region of the globe. 



