Bufo querciciis 125 



Since the above paragraphs were written we have examined very carefully 

 our female series and the U. S. National Museum material with the following 

 results: Spent May 23, May 25, June i, June 4 (3 9 ), June 5, June 6, June 

 15, June 23, July 3, 4 9 , July 4, 2 9 , July 13-17, 2 9 , July 15- , July 



27,2 9 and August 8; unspent-May 29, June i, June 2, June 15, June 16, 5 

 9 , June 28, June 30, July 3, July 12, 2 9 , July 15- , July 17, July 26, 



2 9 . The range of ovulation on this basis might then be from May 23-July 

 26, a possibility, August 8. The May 23 date is from St. Petersburg, Fla., and 

 one unspent record in peninsular Florida extends at least to July 17, — these 

 stations south of the Okefinokee Swamp. 



Temperature and humidity. In 192 1 and 1922 when positive ovulation was 

 known in seven instances, 3 in 1921 and 4 in 1922 our temperatures at camp 

 range from 7o°-82° and in every instance when rains from showers to drenches 

 obtained. The minima of surrounding weather stations are from 64°-74°. 

 In ovulation often the heavier part of the rain may have come the day before. 

 The following night the immense chorus or congress may ensue. In June and 

 July when a rain starts about noon and continues through the afternoon quite 

 certainly that evening if minima be not below 60-64 the oak toads appear en 

 masse. The minima of the 7 ovulation records 7o°-82° in camp are somewhat 

 higher than the minima recorded and derived for congresses, i.e., 64°-74° 

 (see voice) but are exactly the same as temperatures above (64°-74°) derived 

 from nearby weather stations for the seven dates. 



Egg-laying process. Holbrook (1842, Vol. V, p. 15) writes 'T have seen the 

 male and female together, and have seen the female deposit her spawn, even 

 when confined in a glass vessel". He does not, however, describe the process. 



On June 4, 192 1, the first congress we ever witnessed we did not see all the 

 process. Some of the pairs laid eggs in a bunch reminding one of Chinese fire- 

 crackers (see egg description). "The oak toads began laying at 10:00 p.m. 

 The female would emit some eggs. The male would draw up his legs as in B. 

 terrestris and B. americanus and emit milt with two or three exertions. Then 

 he would rest in drawn-up fashion for i or 2 minutes or sometimes less. Then 

 eggs would drop down. At first one pair laid eggs only in bars of 2 or 3 or 4 or 

 5 or 6. Seemed so strange. Female then would lay 14-30 eggs at one time or 

 4-6 bars. Then once after egg-laying she dragged along and all the bars 

 trailed behind showing they had a connection, a hyaline jelly connecting them. 

 There is no outer envelope as in B. americanus and apparently eggs come out 

 in bars of 4-6, then area between becomes stretched. At times several bars 

 or free ends appear from the vent of the female and not just two ends, i.e., 

 one from each oviduct". 



For a month after first eggs in laboratory we did not see eggs in the field. 

 We wondered if they were heavier than water, sunk to the bottom and were so 

 small we could not find them on the bottom. 



On July 3 and 1 7 we began to get our clues. On July 3 we found oak toads 

 common in the furrows between rows of newly planted sweet potatoes. In 

 the flooded furrows were no end of toads. Saw an oak toad pair swim to the 



