252 



Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



In 192 1 we found them commonly in cypress ponds, cypress bays, in 

 hammocks near the cypress bays or near the edge of the island, along the edge 

 of water courses and on the prairies. On June 4 we found a pair in the "lumber 

 camp quarters near a house corner on the south end of the easternmost street 

 in a temporary pool. Probably from houses near by. Boys tell about finding 

 them in or around the rain barrels." Our first specimen in 192 1, April 22, we 

 found in a rain barrel. 



In several instances we have records of them from ivy covered porches 

 where they reside some times. On July 22, 192 1, at Hampton Mizell's 

 residence, Hopkins, Georgia, on his porch were two Hijla cinerea, one of which 

 we saw calling. 



In 1922 we heard them quite commonly on the prairies, and in some cypress 

 ponds. We occasionally heard them in branches (like Starling Branch) and 

 in the water pits beneath the oaks and trees at Camp Pinckney, St. Mary's 

 River. At night the frogs may be on the bushes and stems above the water or 

 more frequently at the water's level. During the day they rest mainly on the 

 stems above the water. For example, at Camp Pinckney in the afternoon of 

 June 27, 1922, "took Hyla cinerea in Pond No. 2 on a vertical wild rice stem, 

 the frog some 3 feet above the water." Eight days later, July 5, at Camp 

 Pinckney, 'over Pond No. 3 on wide leaved grass-like plants were some 7 or 

 8 Hyla cinerea perched 1-3 feet above the water." Or two months later at the 

 same place August 11, 1922 "on grass stems found 3 males 2 feet above the 

 water." 



FIRST APPEARANCE 



The earliest note of activity in the South I have observed is Pope's (1919, 

 p. 95) record for "February 13, 19 18. Caught a young one in the grass close 

 to the bayou. Found it actively hopping after dark, habits evidently noc- 

 turnal. In the course of the next two months I collected three others, two 

 young and one adult 5 cm. in length. The latter was sitting on the top of a 

 stub close to a bayou fast asleep in the day time." In 1897 W. C. Kendall 

 took this species on Feb. 14, at Beecher Pt., Florida and on March 16 secured 

 more at the same place. 



The earliest record the author has of this species is along the Medina River 

 south of San Antonio, Texas. Here in company with Miss Ellen D. Schultz, 

 Mrs. Wright, Messrs. Roy D. Quillen and R. D. Camp we found February 15, 

 1925, this species buried in the moist sawdust or humus or fine dust of decay- 

 ing logs. With it in these logs we dug out a brown snake {Potamophis striatula) 

 DeKay's snake {Storeria dekayi), variable swift (Sceloporus variabilis), 

 spiny swift (Sceloporus spinosus), ground lizard {Leiolopisma later ale), short- 

 lined skunk (Eumeces brevilineatus) Bufo valliceps, and TantUla nigriceps 

 and countless invertebrates. 



GENERAL HABITS 



Metachrosis. "As to coloration, this tree frog has great ability to change 

 from light to dark. The colour may be nearly black, or it may be so light a 

 greenish yellow that the stripes can scarcely be distinguished. There is some 



