TREE FROG. 



131 



dish, and the body is marked on each side by a 

 longitudinal blackish or violet coloured streak, 

 separating the green of the upper parts, from the 

 white colour of the lower : th^ inferior edge of this 

 dark lateral stripe is tinged with yellow. The body 

 is smooth above, and moderately short or plump : 

 the hind legs are very long and slender : the fore 

 feet have four and the hind feet five toes, all of 

 which terminate in rounded, flat, and dilated tips, 

 the under surface of which, being soft and glutin- 

 ous, enables the animal to hang with perfect secu- 

 rity from the leaves of trees. Sec, The skin of the 

 abdomen is also admirably calculated by nature 

 for this peculiar power of adhesion, being covered 

 with small glandular granules in such a manner 

 as to fasten closely even to the most polished sur- 

 face : and the animal can adhere at pleasure to 

 that of glass, in whatever position or inclination 

 it be placed, by merely pressing itself against it. 



Though the Tree Frog inhabits the woods dur- 

 ing the summer months, yet on the approach of 

 winter it retires to the waters, and there submerg- 

 ing itself in the soft mud, or concealing itself 

 beneath the banks, remains in a state of torpidity, 

 and again emerges in the spring, at which period 

 it deposits its spawn in the waters, like the rest of 

 this genus. The male at this period inflates its 

 throat in a surprising manner, and exerts a very 

 loud and sharp croak, which may be heard to a 

 vast distance. The spawn is deposited about the 

 end of April, in small clustered masses ; the 

 inclosed globules or embryos being of a pale 



