514 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The first spawn was deposited on July 3rd, one hundred and 

 nine ova, in small bunches of two to ten, adhering to the weeds. 

 There was an imperfect albino amongst the embryos that 

 hatched, but it never appeared at all healthy, and did not reach 

 maturity. 



On the 6th a second brood of seventy-seven appeared ; six 

 days later another of sixty-nine. On the 15th forty-seven more ; 

 and a fifth brood of only seven appeared to exhaust the capacities 

 of one female. After an interval of five days (on the 21st) 

 there was a fresh oviposition of one hundred and twenty-seven 

 eggs, the first effort of the other female ; forty more on the 

 23rd completed the spawning, making a total of four hundred 

 and seventy -six eggs. 



There can be no doubt that three hundred and nine of these 

 eggs can be ascribed to one female, and the balance to the other. 

 These numbers will be seen to be in accordance with the com- 

 putations of Heron-Royer. 



The rapidity with which the embryo develops and breaks 

 through its capsule is striking, two or three of the broods taking 

 only four days to hatch into wriggling larvae with small four- 

 branched external gills, which disappeared after a few hours. 



The gelatinous capsule measured from between 5 and 7 mm. ; 

 the vitellus'2'3 mm., dark brown, with large white pale. Length 

 of larva when first hatched, 9 mm. ; colour light greyish ; tail, 

 well-developed, 5 mm. Length after fifteen days, 15 mm.; tail, 

 7*5 mm. ; light brownish, speckled with darker brown ; a darker 

 streak along the vertebral line remaining throughout the larval 

 stage. 



After twenty-six days there was only an increase of 2 mm. in 

 the length ; the hind legs had just begun to appear as small 

 white stumps. 



In thirty-five days they had rapidly reached the length of 

 25 mm. ; and in fifty-four days, after some hot weather, they 

 were 34 mm. long. 



Length of body, 16 mm. 

 Width of body, 10'5 mm. 

 From tip of snout to eye, 5 mm. 

 Width between eyes, 4 mm. 

 Front limbs just visible under the skin ; hind limbs with digits 



