brown or gray, the under parts, dusky gray or brown speckled 

 or mottled with light. 



Structure: Skin usually smooth or finely tuberculate; upper jaw 

 projecting beyond the lower; a fold of skin extending from one arm 

 insertion to eyes, thence to other arm insertion; tongue broad, only 

 caudal border free; inner metatarsal tubercle present. 



Voice: The call is a bleating baa that might well deceive anyone. 

 They usually call from the water with rear parts submerged and 

 fore feet planted on the bank or on some other support such as trash on 

 water's surface. Occasionally they are out on the bank or in a grassy 

 tussock. The throat swells out like the light bubble of a toad or 

 spadefoot. The call lasts 1.5-2 seconds, perhaps 20 calls in 30 seconds. 



Breeding: They breed from May 1 to September 1. The egg mass 

 is a surface film, or smaller packets of 10-90 eggs, the complement 

 850 eggs. The black and white eggs are firm and distinct like glass 

 marbles, making a fine mosaic, the envelope a truncated sphere, flat 

 above, the envelope 1/^-1/6 inch (2.8-4 mm.), the egg 1/25-1/20 

 inch (1-1.2 mm.). The tadpole is small, 1 inch (26.5 mm.), flat, 

 wide, and elliptical in shape, the snout truncate, the dorsal and 

 ventral sides of the head flattened, and the eyes visible from the 

 ventral aspect. The tail is medium, obtuse or rounded, sometimes 

 with a black tip. The spiracle is median, closely associated with the 

 anus, and its separation apparent as the hind legs appear. There are 

 no teeth, no horny mandibles, no papillae. After a tadpole period of 

 20 to 70 days, they transform from mid-June to mid-October, at 

 5/16-1/2 inch (8.5-12 mm.). 



Notes: May 22, 1921. Okefinokee Swamp, Ga. In the ditches were 

 Gastrophryne eggs. Each egg stands out distinctly. We found the 

 water blackish, trashy, and oily with floating packets of eggs. Some 

 masses were 1 x 1 inch (25 x 25 mm.) in diameter; others 2 x 1 inches 

 (50 x 25 mm.); others 2x2 inches (50 x 50 mm.); some round masses, 

 others square. Each jelly envelope abuts that of the next in pentagonal 

 or hexagonal fashion. In proper light a mass of eggs makes a mosaic. 

 Some egg masses along banks in weeds may be 1 foot 10 inches 

 (550 mm.) long and 3 or 4 inches (75 or 100 mm.) wide. One mass in 

 the middle of ditch was amongst chips and was 4x7 inches (100 x 175 

 mm.). There are few such in mid-pond. We believe they lay large 

 masses along the edges or amongst the brush, and the wind scatters 

 them. 



In a clean pond (20 x 3 feet) along its edges in amongst grass, was 

 one packet of eggs, 100-125. They are brown and yellowish, more 

 eggs in a mass than in a film of Hyla versicolor. Insects get into the 

 fresh masses. 



195 



