1925] Storer: A Synopsis of the Amphibia of California 
37 
KEY TO THE KNOWN EGGS OF CALIFORNIA AMPHIBIA 1 
PAGE 
1. Eggs usually peduncled, deposited out of water, in cavities in logs, under 
stones or boards at the surface of the ground, in burrows in the ground, or 
aboveground in cavities in oak trees Family Plethodontidae 
2. Size smaller, outside diameter about 6 mm.; deposited under stones, 
under or in rotted logs, or in holes in ground; to be found during 
winter season, December to March Batrachoseps attenuatus 94 
2'. Size larger, diameter of eggs 6 mm. or more (pi. 9, figs. 22, 23); to be 
found during summer season, April to September. 
3. Eggs deposited typically aboveground in cavities in oak trees, but also 
in rotted logs and occasionally on damp ground under boxes; season 
July and August Aneides lugubris lugubris 135 
3'. Eggs deposited typically at or below surface of ground in damp 
situations ; season April to July 
. . Aneides flavipunctatus ; Ensatina eschscholtzii < ^ 
V. Eggs not peduncled, sticky surfaced, deposited in water, in rounded clumps, 
string-like masses, or singly; usually attached to or twined about vege- 
tation. 
4. Eggs in slender string-like masses, enclosed in a tubular sheath of very 
clear, soft jelly about 5 mm. in outside diameter; within this a cylinder 
of jelly in which eggs are arranged in two or three parallel rows; 
individual eggs 1.65 to 1.70 mm. in diameter, black in color (pi. 14, 
fig. 43; text fig. X); deposited in ponds or in shallow quiet water at 
margins of streams, often loosely woven around vegetation 
Bufo boreas halophilus 178 
4'. Eggs deposited singly or in clumps of not more than four or five. 
5. Outer jelly coat about 10 mm. in diameter; two inner coats close 
about egg; egg not over 4 mm. in diameter (pi. 8, fig. 18; text fig. U); 
deposited in shallow rain pools attached to stalks of grass below 
water surface; to be found only north of Tehachapi Pass 
Amby stoma calif orniense 66 
5'. Outer jelly coat, 4.14 to 4.68 mm. in diameter; no inner jelly coat; 
egg 1.83 to 2.10 mm. in diameter (pi. 13, fig. 39; text fig. Z); 
deposited in pools of quiet water in granite-bouldered foothill 
streams and attached to dead vegetation on bottom of pools; to be 
found only south of Tehachapi Pass ...Hyla arenicolor 210 
4". Eggs deposited, typically, in soft viscid jelly in masses numbering up to 
75 eggs; outer soft jelly coat loose and of varying size, not always 
readily distinguishable in the water; inner jelly coat, 1.88 to 2.00 mm. 
in diameter; egg, 1.29 to 1.35 mm. (pi. 14, fig. 42; text fig. Y); deposited 
in quiet water of permanent or temporary ponds at depths of 100 mm. 
or less; seldom or never in streams Hyla regilla 225 
1 Accurate determination of the numbers and dimensions of the jelly coats is 
best accomplished with the egg mass immersed in water under a low power micro- 
scope (15-20 diameters) provided with an ocular micrometer. Oblique transmitted 
light carefully controlled as to amount is useful in distinguishing the inner jelly 
coats. 
