No. 515] 



THE AMERICAN TOAD 



G5 J 



male still clinging to the female with which he had 

 mated before leaving the water. 



As with all amphibians the eggs are fertilized outside 

 of the body. In mating the male clasps the female just 

 back of her fore legs and then places his hind feet upon 

 her thighs. This is the position maintained throughout 

 except at intervals during oviposition. The intervals 

 are about fifteen minutes apart. At such times the 

 female straightens her body, raises her head, and stretches 

 her hind legs backwards. The male hooks his feet be- 

 tween the female's hind legs, thus forming a basket be- 

 tween the feet and legs of the male and the legs and 

 body of the female. (Fig. 3.) In this basket are now 



deposited probably two or three hundred eggs, wl 

 simultaneously the male ejects his sperm. Boulengei 

 no doubt mistaken in the purpose of this process wl 

 he writes that the male (B. vulgaris) aids the female 



