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DISCOGLOSSUS, 139 



Eggs. — Small, 1 to 1-|- mm. in diameter, dark brown 

 or black, with the lower third or fourth white or grey, 

 in isolated capsules measuring 

 not more than 3 or 4 mm. in 

 diameter. The number of eggs 

 does not seem ever to exceed ^i*- ^^■ 



1000, and may be as few as 300. Eclosion takes place 

 on the second to sixth day. The embryo, which then 

 measures 3 or 4 mm., is blackish-brown ; it has a very 

 short tail, but the external gills have not yet appeared. 



Tadpole (PL I, fig. 1). — Length of body once and 

 two-thirds its width, one-half to two-thirds the length 

 of the tail. Eyes on the upper surface of the body, 

 the distance between them about once and a half the 

 distance between the nostrils, equal to or slightly less 

 than the width of the mouth. Spiraculum in the 

 mid- ventral line, equally distant from either extremity 

 of the body. Anal opening median, larger than the 

 spiraculum. Tail three to four times as long as deep, 

 broadly rounded at the end, both upper and lower 

 crests but very feebly convex, the former not extending 

 upon the back ; the depth of the muscular part at its 

 base one-half to two-thirds the total depth. 



Mouth elliptical. Beak white, edged with black. 

 Lips bordered by a single series of papillse, which are 

 usually narrowly interrupted in the middle of the 

 upper lip ; a well-marked chink on each side of the 

 lower lip. Series of labial teeth f, occupying the 

 whole width of the lips, the third lower interrupted 

 in the middle ; the first upper and the first lower series 

 formed of one or two rows of teeth, the others con- 

 stantly of two. 



The ordinary lines of crypts on the head are dis- 

 tinguishable, and often also one running along each 

 side of the back. 



Brown or olive above, grey or whitish below, 

 speckled with gold ; caudal crests whitish, uniform or 

 with small brown dots. Colour-dimorphism is dis- 

 cernible some time before the egress of the fore limbs ; 



