1 88 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



represent stages just before outpushing of hind-limbs to transformation and 

 no doubt the above period outhned for transformation, namely May 2 9- June 

 16 on this evidence might be pushed to July 15 or later. The breeding must 

 come early in the spring with that of the spring frog or the development may 

 be very rapid if the species waits until late April or first of May as some texts 

 give it. Surely the transformation is not solely in late August or September, 

 and it is barely possible that the period of final development is shorter than 

 previously held." 



GROWTH 



In the Okefinokee region transformation, as we have seen, is from 9-12.5 

 mm., rarely to 15 mm. The 13 and 13.5 and 14, 14.5 and 15 mm. sizes are 

 more often beyond transformation than at transformation but 9-15 mm. is its 

 range. In the north in Maryland and Indiana we have transformations from 

 10-14 mm., e.g.. Dr. B. W. Evermann at Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana, took 

 transformed individuals of sizes 11, 12, 13.5 and 14 mm. In Maryland Mr. 

 M. K. Brady took it at 12.5 mm., and F. Harper at 10 and 13 mm. 



Our Okefinokee males reached 24.5 mm. and the females 24 mm. The 

 largest males for other parts of its range were 29 mm. and the females 33 mm. 

 If Hyla squirella transforms at 11-14 mm. and at end of first year as frog 

 reaches 17-24.5 mm., Acris gryllus a more active frog through the year 

 ought from 9-15 mm. transformation size to reach in first year old stage 15- 

 24.5 the largest we have or better to 22 mm. in males and 23 mm. in females. 

 These first-year-olds would have a mode of 1.8 mm. for the males and 2.1 mm. 

 for the females. In our study of 169 adults from non-Okefinokee localities we 

 have a range considerably beyond 24.5 mm. our largest in the Okefinokee. 

 Some of these reach 33 mm. (U.S.N.M. 3935). The lowest and highest modes 

 for these males are 20 mm. and 25 mm. and for females 22, 24 and 28 mm. 

 Possibly in the northern localities where transformation sizes are the same as 

 for our smaller Okefinokee adults and where the growing season is not so 

 long frogs from 23-29 mm. males or 26-33 i^i^- females may be two-year-olds. 



We, therefore, postulate somewhat reasonably the following: transforma- 

 tion 9-12.5 mm. (rarely to 15 mm.); ist year olds, 15-22 or 23 mm.; possible 

 two-year olds, 22 or 23-29 to 7,7, mm. 



AUTUMNAL DISAPPEARANCE 



Abbott (1882, p. 710) in 1881 in New Jersey writes: "Sensitive as these 

 'peepers' are to changes of temperature, it is by no means the first frost that 

 drives them into their winter quarters. In the autumn of the past year (1881) 

 I found them last as late as Nov. 12th but even later (Dec. 27th) my son 

 found one in the meadows which was as liyely as a cricket. The frogs gen- 

 erally were singing this day. For more than two weeke prior to Nov. 12th 

 there had been several white frosts, and the true frogs (Ranae) had all dis- 

 appeared except su&h few as lingered in the warm waters of the larger springs." 



In Illinois H. Garman (1892, p. 342) finds that "Examples nearly grown 

 were taken November 17, 1888, under logs in the vicinity of a creek in Cham- 

 paign County, where they were hibernating." 



