1 66 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



Ellis (1913, p. 58) has the "color variable and changeable; generally 

 brownish, greenish or reddish and somewhat clouded with dusky; ..." 



On April 23, 192 1, a day or so after my arrival, the following hasty notes 

 were made on color and environment. "Acris, captured a lot of them. Some- 

 times on a black soil, and hard to see except when they jump. Some brown 

 all over back (except for dark marks) when on brown pine needles. Some- 

 times green all over except for the dark marks. Sometimes gray over drier 

 sand. Amongst some of the light brown pine needles Acris reddish brown 

 even on back of forelimbs and hind limbs." A month later on the island May 

 21, we record "one just captured as black as the blackish earth." 



General habits. From C. C.Abbott (1882, pp. 707, 708) we have: "Abundant 

 as is this batrachian, but little seems to be known of its habits, and certain 

 misstatements concerning them have long been printed and have never, that 

 I am aware, been either questioned or contradicted." 



"During the month of April, 1881, 1 had excellent opportunities for observ- 

 ing these little creatures, and finding that but httle had been recorded concern- 

 ing them, availed myself of my chance and watched them closely for several 

 weeks." 



"While a network of ditches in a low meadow were being repaired or 



cleaned, I followed the workmen closely, the one striking feature 



of the locality, at this time, was the wonderful abundance of little "rattlers" 

 (Acris crepitans) , as I prefer to call them .... From the date of their earhest 

 appearance until May 20, their numbers were incalculable. In every portion 

 of the meadows at all wet, they were to be seen. Extremely active and very 

 shy, they were difficult to catch provided you pursued a single individual, 

 but by sweeping an ordinary dip net along the grass at the edge of any little 

 pool, several were certainly to be caught .... About the 20th of May there 

 was a very noticeable dimunition of their numbers, and by the loth of June 

 not a specimen was to be found. 



"The fact is, that their vigor culminates with the maturity of the ova and 

 spermatozoa, and having spawned, they have no vital force remaining, and in 

 the course of a few days after ovipositing, they die. Weeks then elapse when 

 no representatives of this batrachian are to be found; indeed none exist, 

 except the thousands of tadpoles. 



". . . Their physiological activity culminates with the maturity of the 

 ova and the labor of depositing it; this effected, they are worn out and in a 

 very short time, die." 



The article of which the above are excerpts is very interesting and in 

 general instructive, but we believe this author falls in error in beUeving the 

 adults die after breeding. Sometimes frogs of most species are found on 

 breeding grounds dead. This is from vigor of breeding; such as violent 

 matings, individual exhaustion after breeding etc., but a general rule of 

 death does riot obtain for any Anuran of Canada or the United States. We 

 have captured Acris adults every month of the year and spent females 

 aplenty. If there be any lessening in numbers it may be because of migra- 

 tions, vegetation more concealing and the enemies of which he speaks. 



