Bujo quercicus 123 



faced a large southern toad {Bufo terrestris). Both were croaking and their 

 inflated sacs would almost touch. A picture indeed. AVe found several pairs 

 on the south side of this pond. They were in water 4-6 inches deep and easy 

 of capture. They do not separate. Could have taken more in this little 

 transient pond where there are no end of B. quercicus^'. On June 5 near our 

 old camp of 19 1 2 in a pond where vigorous matings were held on June 4 

 found a dead female, no doubt killed from rigors of mating or from ex- 

 haustion of ovulation or from both causes. 



On June 28 at night we found Bufo quercicus calling vigorously. Francis 

 Harper relates the following amusing incident: "A Bufo quercicus, on a float- 

 ing chip, had to leave one foreleg suspended in air when 'hollering', the dis- 

 tention of body preventing the toad from reaching a foothold with it. Another 

 seen on floating chips." 



On July 3 "the species was abroad in great numbers. Every transient 

 shallow pool filled by the rain had them calling. Took 3 or 4 pairs and 30 or 

 40 males in short order". 



Amplexation {Normal, cross, ahnormal). In all the amplexations of 

 field mated pairs and also matings in captivity the typical axillary form ob- 

 tained. Sometimes ovulation may come without attendant male. For 

 example, "July 26, 1922, at midnight heard no end of Bufo quercicus in pond 

 near Starling Branch crossing. Captured two pairs in an overflowed grassy 

 area. One pair when we arrived at camp were broken. Put them together in 

 fish can but they did not mate. Probably female laid her complement without 

 mating. The other pair laid by morning of July 27". 



In several instances we noted among our captives that a male might mate 

 with another male. On July 5, 1921 "in my enclosure found three in tier 

 arrangement with a female below, embraced by a male in axillary fashion and 

 this male embraced by another male in typical axillary amplexation. 



OVULATION 



Habitat. "In the breeding season, they seek out stagnant pools, where 



they deposit their spawn, (Holbrook, 1842, Vol. V, p. 14). In 1920 (p. 30) 



we state that "the egg string is laid in warm, shallow ponds, . . . ". In 192 1 we 

 found them in any kind of impermanent pools after a heavy rain. They might 

 be on the swampy edge of the island or in the highest normal dry parts of the 

 island, might be in railroad ditches, excavations, shallow pools or ponds, 

 cleared fields, corn patch puddles, depressions in roads, or any basin which 

 will hold water for a time. At times, however, one is impressed with the ob- 

 servation that possibly they do discriminate permanent places. For example, 

 on June i, 192 1, we observe: "Hear oak toads particularly near trestles. 

 Do they know there is more permanent water in such places?" Many of them 

 breed in shallow cypress ponds where development is assured. 



One journal note (1922) will suffice to indicate their widespread distri- 

 bution and choice of breeding. "July 3. Last night in many places a deafen- 

 ing roar of Bufo quercicus. Especially at a pond 1/2 mile west of Trader's 

 Hill, Ga., — a shallow grassy area. There were four Florida tree frogs ( Hyla 



