Batrachian Study 



191 



above our heads all summer, and their songs are sometimes mistaken for 

 those of the cicada, which is far more shrill. 



The tree-frogs have toes and fingers ending in little round discs which 

 secrete at will a substance by means of which they can cling to vertical 

 surfaces, even to glass. In fact, the way to study these wonderful feet is 

 when the frog is climbing up the sides of the glass jar. The fingers are 

 arranged, two short inside ones, a long one, and another short one outside. 

 The hind feet have three shorter inside toes quite far apart, a 

 long one at the tip of the foot and a shorter one outside. When climbing 

 a smooth surface like glass, the toes are spread wide apart, and there 

 are other little clinging discs on their lower sides, although not so 

 large as those at the tips. It is by means of these sticky, disc-like toes 

 that the tree-frogs hold themselves upon the tree trunks. 



The whole body of the tree-frog is covered with little tubercles, 

 which give it a roughened appearance. The eyes are black with the iris 

 of reddish color. The tongue is like that of other frogs, hinged to the 

 front of the lower jaw; it is sticky and can be thrust far out to capture 

 insects, of which the tree-frogs eat vast numbers. 



The hylas breathe by the rapid pulsation of the membrane of 

 the throat, which makes the whole body tremble. The nostrils are 

 two tiny holes on either side of the tip of the snout. The ears are a 

 little below and just behind the eyes, and are in the form of a circular 

 slit. 



The eggs of the spring peepers are laid in ponds during April; each 

 egg has a little globe of jelly about it and is fastened to a stone 

 or a water plant. The tadpoles are small and delicate; the under side 

 of the body is reddish and shines with metallic lustre. These tad- 

 poles differ from those of other frogs in that they often 

 leave the water while yet 

 the tail is still quite long. 

 In summer, they may be 

 found among the leaves and 

 moss around the banks 

 of ponds. They are in- 

 defatigable in hunting for 

 gnats, mosquitoes and ants; 

 their destruction of mosqui- 

 toes, as pollywogs and as 

 grown up frogs, renders them 

 of great use to us. The voice 

 of this peeper may be heard 

 among the shrubs and vines 

 or in trees during late sum- 

 mer and until November. 

 The little creatures sleep be- 

 neath moss and leaves 

 during the winter, waking to 

 give us the earliest news of 

 spring. Wree-frog tadpoles. 



