PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE. WITH EXAMPLES 



73 



their residence, staying in the cavernous interior until frosts. 

 The photograph shows a tree-toad on the bark of a water 

 beech, taken in the middle of July. 



In this species the stripes on the legs are much less variable 

 than those on other parts of the body. These show very 

 plainly in the photograph. The color of this individual was 

 almost white with grayish mottlings. Against the background 

 of the bark it presented an excellent example of protective 



T^e Tree-toad (Hyla versicolor). He becomes invisible 

 changing his color within an hour to harwanize with 

 the green leaves or gray lichen-covered bark. 



hy 



resemblance. This effect was even more striking before the 

 little subject suddenly turned crosswise on the bark as I was 

 about to open the camera shutter. It is only occasionally that 

 one hears the sound of the tree-toad in July In the middle 

 of the day I heard one while it was on the bark of a walnut 

 tree. It uttered a slight clattering note, similar to the notes 

 made by the red-headed woodpecker, and could scarcely be 

 distinguished from it. 



One of these toads, which I had taken indoors, fed eagerly 

 on grasshoppers and other insects, taken from my fingers. On 



