BREEDING HABIT AND DEVELOP. OF RACOPHORUS. 



115 



The place where the partners retire to deposit eggs is always, so far 

 as my certain observations go, in wet and muddy banks of paddy-fields, 

 ponds, lakes, and the like. The spots chosen are generally along such a 

 bank, at 10 — 15 cm. above the surface of the water, so that there is no 

 fear of being washed by it. The site being fixed, the female digs in the 

 muddy ground a spherical hollow 6 — 3 cm. in diameter. The inside of 

 the hollow is made somewhat smooth by the movements of the female. 

 Thus the animal that performs the chief work is the female who bears 

 the male on her back, and moves round in the hollow, pressing its body 

 against the wall. The hollow thus formed, the animals retire into it ; 

 and then it is entirely concealed under ground, being generally covered 

 with grass. It is, therefore, very hard for one who is not well ac- 

 quainted with the habits of the frog to find out such a hollow. The hol- 

 low is not, however, situated very deep under ground, and apart of the wall 

 turned toward water is generally formed by a thin sheet of earth particles 

 or dry mud, so that by boring through this part the animals may leave 

 the hollow when they have finished the egg-deposition. The only 

 way to find out such a hollow is to grope patiently by hand, along a 

 bank which one thinks a favorable locality ; when the hand goes into a 

 hollow and comes in touch with the frothy egg-mass, a sort of gushing 

 sound, which is produced by the crushing of the air-bubbles, is heard. The 

 animals in the hollow are dark colored, different from the green color 

 which they assume on trees or among dense grasses. 



In general, when a night is warm, the animals sheltered as above 

 finish spawning by the next morning, but if the night is cold, the egg 

 deposition may be delayed and done either during the next day or at 

 night, the latter, however, being much more frequent. 



The foregoing account is sufficient to show that the deposition 

 of eggs in this species takes place almost always during the night. 

 It is probable that the selection of partners, the digging of hollows, 

 and the deposition of eggs are all accomplished in a single day and 

 night, after their awakening from hybernation. 



When the deposition of eggs is finished, the pair separates and 



