128 Hay Batrachians and Reptiles of D. C. 



12. Bufo lentiginosus americanus (Le Conte). Toad. 



Body heavy and awkward, the skin everywhere rough and warty ; 

 snout short and blunt; limbs shorter than in the frogs. Color sometimes 

 ash gray, black, or even brick red but usually olive or brown with ir 

 regular blotches of dark brown; below, dirty yellow. Length 2} to 5 

 inches. 



The toad is an extremely common animal in our region. It appears 

 early in the spring when its long continued, loud trill is one of the first 

 evidences of the renewed activity of animal life. I have found them 

 breeding in early March. 



13. Scaphiopus holbrooki (Harlan). Spadefoot Toad. 



Body toad-like, but a little less squat and clumsy; skin pustular but 

 lacking the large warts of the preceding species; both pairs of legs short 

 and stout; hand with two black callosities; foot with an elongated, com 

 pressed, spade-like process, black in color, with a sharp horny edge, and 

 situated at the base of the inner toe. Brownish with a slightly paler band 

 extending backward from the eye; sides sometimes mottled with ashy. 

 Length about 3 inches. 



There is a single record for this rare species within our limits. It is 

 almost altogether subterranean in its habits, coming forth very rarely, 

 and then at night. Its cries during the breeding season are said to be 

 almost as loud and shrill as a steam whistle. 



14. Acris gryllus (Le Conte). Cricket Frog. 



Form frog-like; snout pointed; hind legs long, the heel reaching near 

 to or beyond the snout when the leg is turned forward; fingers without 

 web; toes webbed to near their tips; skin of back smooth or with large 

 or small warts. Color variable and changeable; usually the upper sur 

 face is gray or brownish, there is often a large green dorsal patch and 

 occasionally this color predominates; often there is considerable reddish; 

 there is a dark triangle between the eyes and a white line from eye to 

 arm; legs with cross bars; below, the color is whitish. Length 1| inches. 



The species has been divided by Cope into two subspecies, A. gryllus 

 gryllus and A. gryllus crepitans, which are of very doubtful validity. 

 Both are found in abundance along the banks of streams and ponds, 

 whence their continuous metallic cry comes almost without intermission 

 during the season of activity, particularly during hot, sunshiny days. 



15. Chorophilus nigritus feriarum (Baird). Striped Treefrog. 



Body and legs rather slender; head rather pointed; fingers with at 

 most only a rudiment of a web; toes with a slight web at their basal 

 joints. Color varying from light ash to fawn and purplish brown; below, 

 cream color; on the back there are three dark stripes, extending from 

 the head to near the end of the body, of these the median sometimes 



