88 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



"It was not long, however, before the spade-foots again became the 

 prominent figure of the fauna of the neighborhood. During the night of June 

 25-26, a violent north-east storm arose, and rain fell in torrents. The sink- 

 hole, which for weeks had been nearly dry, was again flooded, and on the 

 afternoon of the 26th was literally alive with these rare toads. Sitting upon 

 every projecting stick or tuft of grass, or swimming with their heads above 

 the surface of the water, were spade-foots by the hundred, and every one ap- 

 parently uttering those shrill, ear-piercing groans that only these batrachians 

 can utter. Not only during the day but all night their cries were kept up. 

 The following day there was no abatement, but during the night the sound 

 decreased. On the morning of the 28th not an individual was to be seen or 

 heard. 



"I have already referred to the wonderful noises made by these animals 

 when they congregate in pools for the purpose of spawning. At no other time 

 do they appear to be vocal, and the question naturally arises, why, when the 

 animal leads a life that requires no such power except for two or three days in 

 a year, should its utterances be far louder than any or all the frogs and toads 

 of the same locality combined? Although the animal is strictly crepuscular 

 and not diurnal, it could readily find a mate guided by sight, and the purpose 

 of the deafening epithalamium is somewhat hard to determine. If it could be 

 shown that they call to each other from far distant points, the difficulty would 

 disappear, but this they are not known to do. Apparently it is not until they 

 are congregated in some available pool that they sing, if singing it can be 

 called. No words yet in use in our language can fairly describe their utter- 

 ances, which, it may be presumed, are expressions of dehght at meeting." 



To Brimley (1896, p. 501) "The cry was not much louder than that of the 

 common toad." To Ditmars (1905, p. 191) "the voice of the male resembles 

 the tremulous call of the common toad, but is slightly louder." 



Fowler (1907, pp. 96, 97) writes: "They are noted for their irregular and 

 erratic appearance during warm weather, their burrowing in the ground 

 tending to their escaping observation. About Trenton, according to Dr. 

 Abbott, it may appear at any time between May and September, and erratical- 

 ly in abundance. They make a great noise, and as the egg-laying varies in 

 time, their notes may also be expected to be heard at different times. During 

 copulation, both animals roar so that they may be heard at the distance of 

 half a mile. Their roar is not like that of the common toad, Bufo, and their 

 vocal apparatus is not especially different during the operation. They will 

 also roar at other times, as when disturbed or during heavy rains. Mr. C. C. 

 Abbott informs me that he heard a few during the spring of 1904 and 1906. 

 Dr. Dahlgren tells me that he secured examples near Trenton from the same 

 locality where Dr. Abbott made his observations." 



Dr. Overton (1914, pp. 28, 29) writes of its voice thus: "A mud puddle, or 

 a temporary pool formed by a prolonged rain in early April sometimes swarms 

 with toads that groan and squawk in a most unpleasant manner. Each squawk 

 is hke the groan made by a deep-voiced man having a tooth pulled. It may 

 also be compared to the squawk made by a big rooster caught in the night. 



