. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. 436 Annals of the South African Museum. shrinking. Wlien once the shrinkage commences it is very rapid, considering the amount of material to be absorbed. A tadpole that had a tail 43 mm. long on 27th December showed only the barest stump on 30th December, the body being per- ceptibly fatter, though no food was taken in the interval. I have noted the following weights and measurements :—. Fig. 2. -Tadpole o± (Jassma senegalensis. About -5- natural size. Measurements— Length of adult .... 29 mm. Tadpo
. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. 436 Annals of the South African Museum. shrinking. Wlien once the shrinkage commences it is very rapid, considering the amount of material to be absorbed. A tadpole that had a tail 43 mm. long on 27th December showed only the barest stump on 30th December, the body being per- ceptibly fatter, though no food was taken in the interval. I have noted the following weights and measurements :—. Fig. 2. -Tadpole o± (Jassma senegalensis. About -5- natural size. Measurements— Length of adult .... 29 mm. Tadpole, total length . 67 „ ,, body length . • 24 „ ,, tail length . 43 „ ,, depth of tail . 15 „ Weights— Tadpole with four legs and full tail 25 grm ,, ,, ,, ,, half tail . 19 „ ,, practically tailless . 15 „ Adult. ..'... 21 „ The specimen described as adult was at least three years old, having been nearly two years in my vivarium, and was the largest of some twenty caught. A dead and dried specimen was found measuring 35 mm. nose to vent. The eggs are probably laid in October, as the first small tadpoles were found in mid-November and metamorphosis is complete about New Year. The vocal sound is a creak like that made by a basket. Embrace axillary. On the throat of the male all the year round is an ovate suction disc 7 mm. by 6 mm. I have noted an application of this when the frog is clinging to the side of a glass vessel, and suggest that it is used when mating, as accessory to the rather weak arms. Microhatrachus capensis (Blgr.) may be found in small numbers in several places on the Flats, in one locality at least being very plentiful. Generally found round the edges of temporary vleis, but a few have been found in summer in decaying Restio roots. Great variety in colour is displayed and considerable individual change. Specimens coloured pale, bright, or dark green, grey, fawn, light or dark brown, russet or black, may all be found in the same pool. Som
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
