1883.] The Mink or Hoosier Frog. 947 
blotches of an irregular round form, especially towards the rump, 
each encircled with a dirty greenish ring or marbling. The head 
is of a more uniform greenish-brown. The upper lip green, 
shading to dirty white under the snout. Lower lip white. The 
upper surface of the thighs, legs and tarsus are blotched in two 
rows of spots, but not regularly banded, as also the arms. Soles 
of feet and palms of hands a uniform sooty brown. The upper 
surfaces of the external toe and the web attaching it to the sec- 
ond is of a sooty brown; the remaining three toes and webs are 
dirty white. The throat and all the inferior surfaces are of a 
beautiful paper white, with creamy or gentle grass-green tinges 
on the throat, giving a very pleasing effect. Occasionally a sub- 
ject is found with a few scattered spots on the edges of the abdo- 
men, or on the thighs, but.as a rule the line of demarkation be- 
tween the upper and under surface is very well pronounced. The 
lower eyelids are transparent, becoming white in alcohol. The 
stomachs of many have been examined by me, and they contained 
mostly Carabus, Julus and water insects, and on two occasions 
some little fish, chubs, if I remember correctly, about an inch long. 
Thus their food is like that of other frogs. On examining speci- 
mens taken on 2oth July, 1883, the formation of the ova was con- 
siderably advanced. Like the bull-frog and green frog, it retires 
early to hibernate, and after the first sharp frost they all go to re- 
pose, and for about six or seven months are never seen. | 
In summer they may often be seen with the head and a bit of 
the back out of water, resting among plants on the borders of 
streams, and where the Potamogeton is in bunches, or the Ra- 
nunculus is in beds, the herpetologist may likely secure his spe- 
cimens. 
But if the frog once disappears, he generally keeps from view 
till all probable danger is past. It is useless to expect it to reap- 
pear at the spot it left, as it dives several yards, it may be, rods, 
before it stops. I have occasionally waited half an hour or more, 
watching one that has so dived beside a stone, in the current or 
otherwise. Perhaps they may have been really frightened, and 
the feeling of fear may have remained, or they may have fol- 
lowed some law of nature implanted within them in keeping con- 
cealed for such a protracted period. Occasionally I have heard 
their notes after they were secured and in my collecting case ; 
but then it seemed truly a note of distress, and was in a different 
