HYLA VIRIDIS. 251 



neck ; tongue entire, or very slightly notched, nearly cir- 

 cular. Thirty-two species known, of which the following- 

 only is European. 



Hyla viridis. 



Hyla viridis, Dmt. et Bib. vol. viii. p. 581 ; Boon. Faun. Ital. 



(figured). 

 Hyla arborea, Sohinz, Europ. Faun. vol. ii. p. 71. 

 Common Tree Frog. 



Descbiption. — Head short, thick, the sides of the muzzle 

 approaching each other at an obtuse angle ; palatal teeth 

 in a short interrupted row between the hinder edges of 

 the inner nostrils ; on each side of the palate is a shallow 

 longitudinal furrow. The males possess the power of in- 

 flating the bladder beneath their throat until it becomes as 

 large as their head ; the fore-legs are as long as the body ; 

 the hind-legs reach beyond the nose by the length of the 

 foot ; the toes of the fore-feet are fringed by a membrane ; 

 the hind-feet are deeply webbed between the third and 

 fourth, and fourth and fifth toes, but slightly between the 

 others ; the skin is folded above the tympanum and across 

 the breast ; on the upper surface it is smooth. 



Length of the body, about 1£ inch. 



The general colour is light green above, with a rosy 

 tinge on the toes, beneath white ; sometimes the green is 

 spotted with tawny or black, sometimes it is replaced by a 

 blue shade, or by a uniform brown or dirty white, or 

 violet, with darker markings; a black line edged with 

 white runs from behind the eye to the thighs along the 

 sides. 



This species feeds on insects, upon which it darts some- 

 times from the distance of a foot. Except in the spawn- 

 ing season, from April to June, it chiefly lives upon trees ; 

 during that period it takes to the water. Its croak, when 



