144 



The Canadian Fieuj-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



for Ontario; Piersol (1913) seven for the Toronto 

 region; and Patch (1918) six from Ottawa. Our 

 list should include Amb^stoma maculaium, Euri/- 

 cea bislineata, Notophthalmus v. viridescens, Am- 

 hystoma jeffersonianum, and Pleihodon cinereus. 

 As yet we have recorded at Otter Lake or in its 

 environs (within 10 miles) only the last three, the 

 same species which Meek (1899, 1900) took in 

 Gravenhurst or Trout Creek. Little effort has 

 been made for their search except in the summer of 



1913. 



Noiophihalmus v. viridescens (Rafinesque). 

 Common Newt. 



Two or three records of this form were made in 

 the summer of 1913. It is, however, rare. Meek 

 took one near Gravenhurst, September, 1899. 



Ainbystoma jeffersonianum (Green). Jeffer- 

 son's Salamander. 



Recorded only once in 1913 at Otter Lake. 

 Meek and Clark (1900) secured two specimens 

 from Trout Creek to the northward. 



Plethodon cinereus (Green). Redbacked Sala- 

 mander. 



Rather uncommon about Otter Lake. Taken at 

 three different times in 1913 by Messrs. C. V. P. 

 Young and E. Bennett. All the material was of 

 the red-backed phase. Inasmuch as these records 

 were within the species' breedmg season, all were 

 found m rotting logs. 



The Frogs. 



Bufo americanus Holbrook. American Tcad. 



Abundant. Between June 29-July 3, 1913, we 

 found numerous transforming and transformed 

 toads in the trails and roads. In August, 1919, 

 they were found just transformed in some places. 

 Most of the adults are much spotted below. 



Hyla crucifer Wied. Spring Peeper. 



Meek found this form common in September, 

 1899, near Gravenhurst but scarce in June 1900. 

 It is solely a question of voice records. In 1913 

 lone peepers were heard from June 28-July 6. 

 Throughout most of July they were quiet, except 

 for a few at the very end of the month. By Aug- 

 ust 10, 1913, stray peepers began to call and from 

 then onward into September they were not uncom- 

 monly heard. We recorded them at Lake of 

 Bays, Gem, Hardwood, Crozier, Fletcher and 

 Otter lakes. We took them in midsummer in the 

 woods, in dried up swampy areas, and around the 

 edges of the lakes. 



H})la V. versicolor Le Conte. Tree Toad. 



Not commonly found during midsummer after 

 the breeding seasons of late May-July. Heard in 

 late June or early July (9th) in 1913. In 1919 

 heard occasionally throughout the summer. Some- 



times in midsummer we find them amongst the moisl 

 leaves around the lakes or in swampy areas. : 



Rana catesbeiana Shaw. Bullfrog. 



Meek found it abundant at Gravenhurst and 

 Bala and so it is at Otter Lake. The boys of this 

 camp frequently catch them for food. By day they 

 often club them with a paddle or with a stick, catch 

 them by hand or with red flannel and hook. In 

 the last of June and early July the bullfrog chcrus 

 is quite pronounced. After the middle of July, or 

 July 20th, a few males are heard at night. Egg 

 laying may rarely extend to August 1 , some females 

 taken on July 25, 1913, being unspent. 



Rana clamitans Latreille. Green Frog. 



Meek found it very abundant at Gravenhurst 

 and at Bala. Very common in the Otter lake 

 region. This species normally transforms in June 

 and July but in August 25, 1919, newly trans- 

 formed specimens were found. 



Rana palusiris Le Conte. 



Scarce. In the summer of 1913 all of our re- 

 cords of this species came between July 14 and 25. 

 Then only isolated specimens were discovered. 



Rana pipiens (Schreber.) Leopard Frog. 

 The most abundant frog of the region. 



Rana septentrionalis Baird. Mink Frog. 



Not uncommon in the Otter lake region. They 

 were heard croaking from July 7-16, 1913, in a 

 small peaty lake near Otter lake. Later en July 

 24, 1913 (in Ten Mile creek) between Lake of 

 Bays and Otter lake we found them common among 

 lily pads, also at Porridge lake, July 28, 1913 and 

 on Fletcher lake, September 1, 1913. In 1919 in 

 the middle and last of August sixty or more were 

 taken with a net from the lily pads. 



Rana s^lvatica Le Conte. Wood Frog. 



In 1913, we secured only two newly transformed 

 specimens on July 8 and July 24, and three adults, 

 July 25. All were lost and we are unable to 

 identify them positively as R. s])lvatica. It is a 

 woodland form in midsummer, very seldom seen. 



The Snakes. 

 Nash gives 17 species of snakes for Ontario. J. 

 B. Williams finds 9 species in the Toronto region. 

 Meek, 3 species in Muskoka country and Patch. 2 

 species in the vicinity cf Ottawa. We have fivj 

 species in our list. Three more may be later re- 

 ported by subsequent writers. We found no clue 

 to the riband snake at all. The natives descr'bed 

 two other snakes, one apparently the m''k snake 

 (Lampropeltis iriangulum iriangulum) and another 

 the spreading adder (Heterodon contortrix) from 

 the region somewhat south of Lake of Bays. 



