g6 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



to be procured, as their development is comparatively rapid, and the pools in 

 which they are reared dry up by the end of spring. I have therefore to post- 

 pone a description of the tadpole, which I hope, however, to supply ere long." 



Ditmars (1905, p. 191) holds "The eggs are similar to those of the toad, 

 and are laid in strings." By no stretch of description could one hold them the 

 same as those of the common toad. 



(See Overton's notes under egg laying process and Deckert's Fig. i for the 

 appearance of eggs at or immediately after ovulation). 



In 1920 (p. 27) before our own first-hand experience with spade-foot eggs 

 we repeated that "the hermit spadefoot lays eggs in bands like the European 

 forms of this family, . . . ." But it should be said that soon these bands 

 appear as cylinders. In 1923 (a p. 406) we speak of the "eggs in bands, later 

 cylinders." Or 1923 (b p. 34) we hold that "from April isth or earlier to 



Sept. I St., six forms breed Scaphiopus holbrookii lays bands of eggs 



which soon become cylinders." In 1924 (pp. 377, 379) we record the "egg 

 mass (as) submerged. Eggs laid in bands which soon become loose cylinders 

 extending along plant stems or grass blades; vitellus 1.4 to 2.0 mm.; envelope 

 3.8-5.6 mm. Egg complement 2,332. Season Apr. 15 or earlier to August 

 17." "These (early species) are usually with firm jelly envelopes except for 

 Pseudacris triseriata and Scaphiopus holbrookii, which have the consistency 

 intermediate between the firm jellies of early breeders and the loose surface 

 films of later breeders." 



In one pond in an area 4 feet square were 1 2 pairs. Before a congress is 

 over the stems and vegetation at times gets tied up in a tangle with the inter- 

 locking and heavy egg masses. Some stems are with egg masses bent over 

 and such horizontal stems are often connected to a vertical one by other jelly 

 masses. A few fresh laid bands were as follows: i inch long, 2 inches, 4 

 inches. When the bands expand the band may be i 1/3-1 3/4 inches in 

 diameter. Usually the bands were about as long as the pond was deep. Most 

 were, therefore, 1-6 inches long. But in the one deep pond were bands very 

 much longer, 8-12 inches. In other words the female goes to the bottom of 

 pond and crawls up to or almost to the surface before she ceases ovulation. 



The next morning at 10:00-10:30 a.m. the spade-foots having left before 

 daybreak, in an area 6-8 feet in diameter every grass blade was covered and 

 bent over from the weight of one or more masses. The masses were swollen 

 (not now band-Hke) and some almost hatched. Masses around the stems 

 were i inch wide or sometimes i 1/2-2 inches in width. If the original band 

 be short, the final swollen mass may at times look squarish at the surface or 

 be cuboid in reality. Most of the masses looked like cylinders of jelly or 

 round masses. The pond was just packed with these masses and the water 

 had a milky appearance. 



We made several field observations and measurements on the individual 

 eggs. Mrs. Wright made these three determinations: In one lot, the vitelli 

 were 1.6 mm., 1.6, 1.8 mm., and envelopes 4.8 mm., 4.8mm., 5-2-5-0 mm., and 

 in mass the jelly more or less merged. Another set had measurements: 1.4 



