Suretka

9 38.7-42.0
(41.0) 0.56-0.58
(0.56) 0.53-0.72
(0.62) 0.35-0.45
(0.42) Panamá: Canal Zone 16 36.7-42.9
(39.0) 0.52-0.58
(0.54) 0.70-0.78
(0.74) 0.40-0.44
(0.42) Venezuela: Santomé 4 35.5-40.9
(38.5) 0.45-0.48
(0.46) 0.63-0.67
(0.65) 0.36-0.40
(0.38)

Table 2.—Comparison of Mating Calls in the Hyla rubra Group.
(Means in parentheses below observed ranges.)

Species	N	Notes per call group	Duration of note (sec.)	Pulses per second	Fundamental frequency (cps)	Major frequencies (cps)
						Lower	Upper
H. boulengeri	8	1	0.24-0.47 (0.35)	80-120 (101)	70-74 (71)	1400-1820 (1611)	2520-3182 (2840)
H. foliamorta	7	1	0.23-1.86 (0.69)	50-60 (51)	52-61 (56)	912-1026 (918)	2736-3477 (3055)
H. elaeochroa	15	2-95 (19)	0.12-0.24 (0.17)	40-50 (42)	48-65 (57)	1254-1586 (1499)	2562-3477 (2911)
H. s. staufferi	18	2-77 (23)	0.13-0.23 (0.18)	100-130 (120)	96-130 (106)	1582-1872 (1743)	1962-3744 (3056)
H. s. altae	7	2-22 (11)	0.14-0.18 (0.15)	110-130 (120)	104-117 (112)	1853-2106 (2008)	3379-4056 (3775)

Cranial Osteology.—The skull of Hyla boulengeri is as long as it is wide, and is flat; the premaxillary is small and bears 13 to 17 teeth (mean for 6 specimens, 14.9). The alary processes of the premaxillaries are widely separated, concave posteriorly, and vertical. Ventrally, the premaxillary is connected to the prevomer by bony tissues. The maxillary is slender and bears 70 to 91 teeth (mean for 6 specimens 78.1). The pars facialis of the maxillary is laterally convex and about four times as high as the pars dentalis.

The nasal is large (its length about 40 per cent of total length of skull), and pointed anteriorly and posteriorly in dorsal view. The nasals are separated anteromedially by the cartilaginous septum nasi. One or two protuberances are present on the midlateral concavity of the nasal. Posteriorly, the nasal overlaps the sphenethmoid and articulates with the palatine. Dorsally the sphenethmoid is large, pentagonal, and completely ossified. The frontoparietal is elongate, smooth, and bears a small supraorbital process on the anterior edge of the orbit. A keyhole-shaped frontoparietal fontanelle is present; the fontanelle is narrow anteriorly and wide posteriorly.

The bony part of the proötic is separated dorsally from the squamosal by the cartilaginous crista parotica. The squamosal is small, its anterior arm slender and pointed. The posterior arm of the squamosal is pointed terminally and articulates with the proötic medially.

The prevomer is large and elongate. Anteriorly the prevomer is connected to the maxillary-premaxillary articulation; posteriorly, the prevomer is separated from the sphenethmoid by cartilage. Each prevomer bears six to nine teeth. The palatine is present and edentate. The anterior end of the parasphenoid is broad (less pointed than in Hyla foliamorta). The pterygoid is slender and well developed.

Natural History.—Hyla boulengeri inhabits humid lowland tropical forests and breeds in temporary ponds. Clasping pairs and gravid females were observed at Puerto Viejo, Heredia Province, Costa Rica, on June 21, 1966. Males were calling from depressions in decaying logs and stumps, in forked stems, and from leaves of broad-leafed plants near the pond. Males were observed in late July and early August calling from Calathea and Heliconia leaves at the edge of a pond in the wet forest of the Osa Peninsula. William E. Duellman informed me that he collected calling males in January at El Real, Darién, and in March at Almirante, Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Taylor (1952) found calling males in June at Turrialba, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, and Dunn (1931a) observed males calling in July, November, and December in Panamá. Gravid females have been found from April to August. Breeding activities of Hyla boulengeri always seem to be associated with temporary ponds; in Central America breeding apparently takes place throughout most of the year.

The mating call of Hyla boulengeri consists of one short, moderately low-pitched note. Each note has a duration of 0.24 to 0.47 second and is repeated at intervals of one second to several minutes. The notes have 80 to 120 pulses per second, a fundamental frequency of about 70 cycles per second, and a dominant frequency of 2,840 cycles per second (Table 2, Pl. 3A).

The eggs are deposited in a mass in the water. No information is available concerning early development. Tadpoles in advanced stages of development were found in a temporary pond at Rincón de Osa, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. The pond was about 10 cm. deep, had a muddy bottom and lacked vegetation. Three recently metamorphosed young were found in mid-August, 1966, on grass at the edge of another temporary pond in the forest.

Tadpoles—Twelve tadpoles are available. These were collected at Rincón de Osa, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. The maximum size represented is 34.0 mm., total length (stage 42 of development).

A typical tadpole in stage 36 of development (KU 104295) has a body length of 12.0 mm., tail length of 20.0 mm., and total length of 32.0 mm. Other characters are as follows: depth of tail equal to length of body; body deeper than wide; distance between eye and nostril equal to that between nostril and tip of snout; mouth anteroventral, upper and lower lips bare; papillae present laterally; tooth rows 2/3; upper rows about equal in length; first upper row slightly, and second upper row widely, interrupted medially; lower rows about equal in length, shorter than upper rows; third lower row containing 5-10 large teeth; beak strong, serrate; spiracle nearer anus than eye; anal aperture not extending to border of ventral fin; caudal musculature slender posteriorly, extending to tip of