236 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



repeatedly visited the locality in quest of the Hyla and its eggs, but entirely 

 without success." 



W. T. Davis who has done more than any other individual to introduce 

 this species to naturalists writes of it in 1905 (p. 795) as follows: "At Lake- 

 hurst, New Jersey, especially in the latter part of May and in June, there are 

 heard at evening coming from the white cedar swamps, many voices that 

 resemble the familiar quacking of ducks. If one will take the trouble to wade 

 into one of these swamps at twilight and approach the singer cautiously, it 

 will be discovered that he is a male Hyla andersonii. He pipes and sings 

 'aquack-aquack-aquack' many times, or until his bubble of air gives out. 

 This is the time, when he is singing, to take a step forward. Even when the 

 observer is very near and evidently plainly in view, he cannot resist the 

 temptation to sing, for he hears his rivals all about calling loudly. The notes 

 are not all alike in sound, and some individuals remind one of the 'potrack- 

 potrack' of the farm and guinea fowl. The Hyla will be found seated on the 

 lower limb of some tree, or among the top branches of a huckeberry bush. I 

 have heard this frog singing at mid-day when the sun was shining brightly, 

 especially after a shower. Also solitary individuals may be heard in the swamps 

 much later in the year, and they do not appear to wander as far from the 

 water as does Hyla versicolor''. In 1907 (1907, pp. 49, 50) Davis recorded 

 them calling in August. "On the warm cloudy evening of August loth Hyla 

 andersonii was heard near some pools a short distance north of the village of 

 Farmingdale, N. J." 



In 19 16 T. Barbour (19 16 pp. 6, 7) and his brother F. K. Barbour, of their 

 observations speak thus: "At dusk we have usually taken our supper, and 

 then waited for darkness to come on and for the Hylas to begin to sing, and 

 have had good luck taking Hylas by the following method : One of us with an 

 electric flashlight would start for the nearest singing Hyla, while the other 

 usually waited some distance away. As soon as the Hyla stopped singing, the 

 person who was not trying to approach would imitate the call of the frog, and 

 this would start it singing again vigorously, and while it was singing the 

 collector bearing the light would approach as quickly as possible, standing 

 still as soon as the singing ceased. This process was kept up until finally the 

 light flashed on the vibrating white throat of the singing Hyla, and its capture 

 then became a perfectly simple matter, as long as they stared stupidly at the 

 brilliant light. 



". . .This year (1915), however, we did not get down to Lakehurst until 

 the 8th of July, when we found the Hylas singing in goodly numbers in the 

 white cedars about the lake. ... A large number of individuals kept on 

 singing so vigorously until at least the 20th of July. I might add that the 

 singing begins with dark, though an occasional voice may be heard upon a 

 lowery afternoon, and the greatest concert takes place before ten o'clock. At 

 about this time, the number of singing individuals is noticeably less." 



Thus from 1889-1918 the "calling" season appears from records to be 

 from May to August 10. 



