General Discussion 



37 



Egg mass a loose irregular cluster. 



d. Egg mass small, less than i in. (2.5 cm) in diameter. 20 to 100 eggs 



in the mass; outer envelope merged ; the one envelope 5.0 to 7.8 mm, 



rarely 3.0 mm; vitellus 0.9 to 1.2 mm. Egg complement, 500 to 800. 



Season, March 19 to May i (Fig. 7) Pseudacris triseriata. 



dd. Egg mass an irregular cyhnder i to 6 in. (2.5 to 15 cm) in length, 

 extending along plant stem or grass blade; envelope, single, 3.8 to 

 5.6 mm; vitellus 1.4 to 2.0 mm. Egg complement, 2,332. Season, 



April 15 or earlier to August 17 (Fig. 5) Scaphiopus holbrookii. 



(See also (c) under (b) Eggs in files or bands.) 



EGG-LAYING PROCESS 



In most of these southeastern frogs the actual ovulation and fertihzation 

 process has not been observed. Generally we would return after midnight 

 or later with a pair or more and had to sleep to conserve our energies for 

 daytime observations where and when congresses occurred. The opportunity 

 to observe this process was therefore often deliberately passed by. These 

 are points the resident naturalists can do better in any event. At this junc- 

 ture we will not enter into any discussion of the process, though we have 

 opinions, but in some cases not all the facts we want. 



HATCHING PERIOD 



Scaphiopus holbrookii 



Gastrophryne carolinensis 



Pseudacris ocularis 



Hyla squirella 



Hyla gratiosa 



Hyla cinerea 



Rana grylio 



Bufo terrestris 



Hyla femoralis 



Bufo quercicus 



Acris gryllus 



1-2 to 6 days 

 ih-3 days 

 1 5- 1 1 days 

 1 5-2 days 



2 days 

 2-3 days 

 2-32 days 

 2-4 days 



3 days 

 3-3I days 

 3-4 days 



Submerged masses 

 Surface films 

 Single submerged 

 Single submerged 

 Single submerged 

 Surface or submerged 

 Surface film 

 Submerged files 

 Surface film 

 Submerged bars 

 Single submerged 



Hyla versicolor 

 Rana sphenocephala 

 Rana virgatipes 

 Rana clamitans 

 Rana aesopus 

 Rana catesbeiana 

 Rana septentrionalis 



3-5 days 

 3-5 days 

 3-5 days 

 3-6 days 

 4-4^ days 

 4-5 days 

 5-13 days 



Surface film 

 Submerged mass 

 Submerged mass 

 Surface film 

 Submerged mass 

 Surface film 

 Submerged mass. 



From a glance it will be seen that the minimum period for each Okefinokee 

 species is from i to 4 days for hatching, or the maximum period for each 

 species from if to 6 days. This would imply temperatures of 6o°-8o° Fahren- 

 heit or higher if our table of 1914 (p. 19) be correct. I still beheve there is 

 much to be said for that table. However, if one observe the table herewith 

 given he will note that the shortest periods of hatching are not necessarily 

 the surface films. Of the first five species with lowest hatching periods, four 

 have submerged eggs. Strangely enough the single eggs in general have a 

 tendency to hatch quicker than the masses. Probably in Okefinokee Swamp 

 the egg complements of all species are under more uniform water conditions 

 in temperature than we have in the north. 



