General Discussion 



31 



August 17 (crest April to June) the solitary spadefoot may begin its laying of 

 bands (later cylinders). From March 18 to September i, (crest April to 

 June) the Florida tree frog (Hyla gratiosa) lays its single eggs. Thus we 

 have in early spring six forms — a small loose egg mass, two plinths, egg 

 strings, egg bands or cylinders, and single eggs. However different in form, 

 they are all alike in being submerged. 



Our evidence points to six forms as beginning ovulation in April. The 

 southern tree frog, {Hyla squirella) lays single eggs in April to August 

 (crest April to June). The cricket-frog {Acris gryllus) apparently comes 

 next, April 15 to September i (crest May 10 to July 20) with its single eggs 

 (rarely in masses) . The cow bell frog ( Hyla cinerea) lays its surface films or 

 submerged masses from April 15 to August 15 (crest May 10 to July 15). 

 Soon after, April 20 or 25 to September i (crest May 20 to July 15) the pine 

 wood tree frog {Hyla femoralis) deposits its films on the surface. From 

 April 24 to August 21 (crest May 20 to July 20) the little chorus frog {Pseu- 

 dacris ocularis) emits single eggs on the bottom of ponds and on vegetation. 

 From the last of April to August 1 1 the carpenter frog {Rana virgatipes) lays a 

 plinth attached to sticks or stones like meadow frog masses, but the indi- 

 vidual eggs have no inner envelopes. Three of the six lay single submerged 

 eggs, one a plinth, one a surface film, and one sometimes a surface film, or 

 sometimes a submerged mass. Possibly Heckscher's frog {Rana heckscheri) 

 begins April i and stretches to August i (crest? May and June) but this 

 period is uncertain as is the conjectural mass. Is it a film hke R. grylio, R. 

 clamitans, or if in April, a submerged mass like R. virgatipes, R. sphenocephala, 

 or R. aesopus? 



About May i four seem to start. From May i to August 1 1 (crest May 

 20- June 30) the common tree toad {Hyla versicolor) ought to deposit its 

 surface films. From May i to August 31, (crest May 20 to July 23), the 

 narrow-mouthed toad {Gastrophryne carolinensis) spawns clear marble-like 

 eggs in films on the surface, these eggs truncated on the top. From May i to 

 July 8 or later (crest May 20 to June 14) the Anderson tree toad might if in 

 Okefinokee region lay its single submerged eggs. One more goes from May i 

 onward to September i (crest May 23 to July 26) and it is the oak toad {Biifo 

 quercicus) which deposits short bars of eggs on the bottom of ponds. 



From the middle of May to September i (crest May 24 to July 28) the 

 southern bullfrog {Rana grylio) has large films one by two and a half feet 

 across, much as does Rana catesbeiana. If this latter form be near the Oke- 

 finokee it doubtless lays the last of May or from June to August i when the 

 green frog {Rana clamitans) has been recorded laying its smaller surface 

 films. From May i onward we thus have remarked seven forms of which 

 five lay surface films and two submerged (one single eggs, one bars in different 

 forms) eggs. 



Some of the spawning dates, order of ovulation and humidity (Table 12) 

 and temperature data (Table 13) appear in the following tables. 



