Scaphiopus holhrookii 89 



Such a sound coming from a temporary pool in April is almost surely the voice 

 of a spadefoot toad. 



"A spadefoot toad makes its noise while it lies sprawled on the surface of 

 the water. When it begins to sing, it suddenly distends its throat into a white 

 pouch that is about double the diameter of its head. The result is that the 

 pouch, floating on the water, Hfts the toad's head up suddenly while the hinder 

 parts of the body sink beneath the surface. At the expiration of the sound, 

 the toad bobs back to its sprawling position. Each vocal effort lasts about a 

 second. An active toad will repeat the sound about every ten seconds. A 

 spadefoot singing in a pool on a dark night may be recognized by its vocal 

 sac which appears like a big white bubble in the light of the lantern." 



Shortly after Dr. Dunn's hst of Reptiles and Amphibia of Virginia ap- 

 peared H. W. Fowler adds Scaphiopus holbrookii to the list with these notes: 

 "On July 15, 1906, Dr. Henry Fox obtained a fine example of Scaphiopus 

 holbrookii which he forwarded soon after. He wrote: "The specimen as well 

 as several other examples were exposed in plowing a stubble-field and attracted 

 attention by the extraordinary loud and shrill cry they made when crushed by 

 the plow. Mr. E. R. Dunn informs me this amphibian has not been definitely 

 recorded from Virginia and the above examples all observed at Tappahannuk, 

 are, therefore, of interest. In this connection I may also mention that under 

 date of June 7, 19 16, Mr. H. Walker Hand writes from Cape May, N. J. 'On 

 May 28, Dr. J. S. Eldridge and myself were walking along a wood-road and 

 heard a peculiar cry coming from the ground. I had heard the same before, 

 but could not find the source. This time I dug down and the sound continued 

 even as I was digging. At a depth of about three inches a spadefoot was 

 found snugly fixed. He never stopped calling until I lifted him out.' " 



In 1920 from Dade County, Florida, Deckert reports that "During a 

 prolonged thunder-storm many of the Spadefoot Toads were encountered by 

 the writer in the streets south of the Miami River on the afternoon of May 16, 

 and during the night were found breeding at 19th Street and Avenue H., also 

 at 22nd Street and Miami Avenue, and great numbers were reported from 

 the low grounds near the 'Alligator farm/ Miami. Their cries sound hke 'Ow, 

 Ow,' and 'Miow,' but the latter much deeper in tone than the well-known cat 

 cry. The noise made by a dozen males is deafening when one is near, though 

 the call lacks carrying power." 



On August 16, 1928, about one mile southeast of Hilliard, Florida, we were 

 slowly travelling along the Dixie Highway detour. W^e were helping tourists 

 over an overflowed area when Mr. Francis Harper espied a curious hawk and 

 started after it. The search led him across the Dixie Highway and he heard 

 what he at first mistook for young crows. (In this connection it is interesting 

 to recall Mr. Andrew Nichols' account wherein spade-foot calls were Hkened to 

 the call of young crows) they proved to be spade-foots. We, therefore, left 

 the detour and went through the woods to camp beside the five or six ponds 

 where the congress was. We could hear them for about a half mile's distance. 

 Nearby it sounds somewhat like where where, where, where and so on. Once one 

 of our party said it sounded at a distance like the calling or snarling of a cross 



