TYPICAL FROGS. 
269 
the midday sun. Its croaking is said to be louder than that of any other species, 
and can be heard for a distance of several miles. I 11 the Southern States of 
America, although most intense during the spring and summer, the croaking 
is continued throughout the year; but in the north it is confined to the spring 
and summer, being especially loud during the breeding-season. It is a remarkable 
fact that in Canada, at least, the bull-frog passes its first winter in the larval 
condition, and takes two years to attain its full growth. 
Oxygiossus ^ ma y be mentioned that the small Indian frogs forming the 
genus Oxygiossus differ from the members of the preceding genus by 
the absence of any notch in the tongue, and the want of vomerine teeth. They 
are specially interesting on account of being represented by fossil species in the 
JAVAN FLYING FROG (§ nat. size). 
Flying Frogs. 
Eocene rocks of Bombay. Fossil frogs belonging to the typical genus Rana occur 
in the lower Miocene rocks of Europe. 
“ One of the most curious and interesting reptiles which I met 
with in Borneo,” writes Mr. Wallace, “ was a large tree-frog, which 
was brought me by one of the Chinese workmen. He assured me that he had seen 
it come down, in a slanting direction, from a high tree, as if it flew. On examin¬ 
ing it, I found the toes very long, and fully webbed to their very extremity, so 
that when expanded they offered a surface much larger than that of the body. 
The fore-legs were also bordered by a membrane, and the body was capable of con¬ 
siderable inflation. The back and limbs were of a very deep shining green colour, 
the under surface and inner toes yellow, while the webs were black, rayed with 
yellow. The body was about 4 inches long, while the webs of each hind-foot, when 
fully expanded, covered a surface of 4 square inches, and the webs of all the feet 
together about 12 square inches. As the extremities of the toes have dilated discs 
