94 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



in this work is a very good portrayal of the process and in accord with our 

 experiences in northern Florida. 



One of our short field notes is as follows: "Spade-foots lay eggs on twigs 

 (upright). Water 6 inches or more deep in first pond. Pair lays a band on a 

 twig in about a minute or less. Female seizes the twig with forelegs and 

 climbs branches with forelegs and hindlegs. Male embraces inguinal fashion. 



"Must be 50 pairs or more in one pond which is 4 or 5 inches deep. The 

 pair leave the surface and start for the bottom and the female moves up the 

 stem toward the surface to the end of the twig. Sometimes horizontal posi- 

 tion in laying, usually vertical. Intervals of laying. One pair has 15 seconds 

 laying. Rested one minute. Laid. Rested 3 minutes. Ten seconds for 

 laying. . . . 



Often a female will hold her head downward at first. From time to time 

 the female will cross fore feet and hind feet as she climbs a stem." 



To make sure our lone opportunity for observation on the breeding of the 

 Spade-foots in 192 1 and 1922 was used to its utmost we asked Mrs. Wright 

 to record independently her own findings. Under egg laying we presented 

 her notes : "We started from Callahan in a hard rain, a Uttle before noon. On 

 a detour two miles south of Hilliard, we stopped for cars going across a swollen 

 creek. Francis went to look for birds and heard Spade-foots calling. We drove 

 through the woods and back on the Dixie Highway and pitched camp, one 

 mile south of Hilliard on an oak ridge. An old road filled with water made a 

 shallow pond, and here we saw the males croaking, their white throats looking 

 like shiny white golf balls. Just beyond was a shallow surface pool, caused 

 by the heavy rain. The ground was covered with herbs; a little Xyris, a few 

 sedges, Rhexias, small umbelhferous plant with violet shaped leaf, wire grass 

 and a few Hypericums. The Spade-foots were calling here, and in another 

 similar pool and in a third deeper pool as well. At a distance the chorus 

 sounded like young crows trying to call. The pond was filled with mated 

 pairs. 



"A few eggs had been laid. The eggs were laid in more or less irregular 

 band form along the grass blades or plant stems. In the third pond where 

 the water was deep, the bands were long. The pair might be floating on the 

 surface. When ready to lay, they went to the bottom of the pond, often the 

 male with his eyes closed, and the female with her's partly closed. They 

 moved around slowly on the bottom, or rested a minute. When she found a 

 stem to suit her, she seized it with her front feet and pushed with her hind 

 feet. The male clung close to her back, his chin tight against her back. (One 

 we photographed had an abrazed chin as if from pressure). He held his knees 

 against her knees, or sometimes his feet which are conspicuously broad, were 

 pressed against her feet. She walked or climbed up the grass blade or along 

 it, if it fell to horizontal position, pressed vent against the blade as she laid 

 the eggs. He humped his back to press his vent close to her's while she was 

 laying. As they reached the top of the blade, they sometimes moved imme- 

 diately to a nearby one, or rested a short period. When first laid the eggs had 

 a irregular band appearance as they were strung along the blade, sometimes 



