146 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



May 31. No end of toads in temporary pools in negro quarters west. 



June 4. Went to an open pond (no trees) south of our old camp. Here no end 



of Bufo terrestris in deeper water. 

 June 6. Went to Oak Toad pond in cleared fields to photograph where oak toads 



and Florida tree frogs were. Found plenty of Bufo terrestris eggs. 

 June 6. In temporary ponds in the street of the white quarters are toad's eggs. 

 July 3. In grassy overflow area toads common. Common in furrow pools of 



newly planted sweet potato fields. In white quarters street pools no end of 



Bufo terrestris. 



Later we found them in roadside ditches, ditch pools beside the lumber 

 railroad, pools in tracks in wood roads, in dug pits, old field ponds, overflows 

 of branches, quiet waters of stream edges and countless other transient places. 

 On one occasion their eggs were so plentiful in impermanent pools that we 

 wrote June 4 ''What a frightful waste of frog life in transient pools." 



Period. Holbrook (1842, Vol. V, p. 9) speaks of "the male (seeking) 

 the female in the month of May, when hundreds of them many be seen to- 

 gether in some stagnant pool, on which they deposit their spawn, and then 

 return again to the land." 



During our stay 1912 a very few southern toads were heard and only one 

 record of eggs was made on Billy's Island, June 3, 19 12. These were lost 

 like those of Bvfo quercicus and were in similar situations. In the main, the 

 species doubtless is finished with egg-laying by the end of May, and it must 

 begin early for Mr. Harper reports "swarms of little toads appeared over the 

 paths, etc. about the middle of May, 191 2." 



In 1 92 1 we have males croaking from April 23 to August 16, in 1922 from 

 June 19 to August 26. In 192 1 we have mating records from April 23 to 

 July 29 or 30; in 1922 from July 2 to August 13. In 192 1 we have ovulation 

 records from April 23 to July 3; in 1922 from June 22 to July 11. Through- 

 out my notes I have the ovulation period given variously as follows: April 15 

 or earlier to August i, August 13, August 17; April 24 to May 22; April 24 

 to August 13; April 24 or earlier to August i or August 15 or later; April i 

 to August 15 or later. 



In 1923 (p. 34) we write "From April 15 or earlier to September i six 

 forms breed." Bufo terrestris is given as one of the six. In one set of notes 

 before we knew Pseudacris nigrita and Scaphiopus holbrookii from this region 

 we made it the third breeder after Acris gryllus and Rana sphenocephala. 

 It may be the fourth or fifth breeder if not the third in the sequence. In 1924 

 Wright & Wright (p. 380) give ovulation "Season, April 15 or earlier to 

 August 13." 



In the light of the fact that most mating and ovulations were at night 

 from April 22 onward and because of transformation data as early as April 

 27 or mid May this species may begin as early as March i to April i or 

 earlier. 



Temperature and humidity. On April 23, 192 1, we saw that toads would 

 breed at 58°-6o° or lower, but whenever ovulation occurred we generally had 

 records of 60° or higher, usually at least 64°-75°, the average 71°. In 1922 

 most of our records of air temperatures at ovulation were yi°-'jg° but the 



