284 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



males caught last night are now mated. These are axillary as was the mated 

 pair." On June 4, 192 1, we noted that "One of the Hyla femoralis pairs has 

 the male larger than the female. Its left arm comes on to the breast to the 

 middle hne and the other hand is in the axilla or a little lower." 



OVULATION 



Miss M. C. Dickerson (1906, p. 151) writes of it that "Nothing is on record 

 regarding the life history or habits." In 19 15 Deckert (p. 3) calls it "one of 

 the shyest of tree toads, rarely caught except during the breeding season, when 

 it frequents certain 'bayous' in thousands." 



Habitat. We found breeding congresses in grassy transient pools near the 

 roads in the piney woods, in open ponds in cutover roads, in pools or ditches 

 beside the railroad and roads, in cypress ponds and in cypress bays. We found 

 mated pairs in overflowed grassy fields, shallow transient depressions, in 

 temporary overflows or drenched cultivated fields, swamps or dreens in the 

 cypress bays. Tadpoles were taken in pools beside Indian mounds, railroads, 

 roads, in cypress ponds and sometimes on the prairies, in diverse ponds on the 

 east mainland or in bays outside the swamp. 



Period. In 1920 we (1920, p. 29) held that "The . . . tree frogs, like the 

 . . . pine wood's tree frog, lay their eggs from the very last of May to July." 

 Three years later (1923, p. 34) we considered Hyla femoralis as one of the five 

 which start breeding from May 15 on to June i. The next year we (1924, p. 

 37) made the "Season May 16 to August 21, for Hyla femoralis." 



In 19 1 2 we made the following notes: "The breeding season must be about 

 the same period as for Hyla carolinensis. The two specimens taken (May 

 6-23) by Mr. Harper were male and female respectively. The latter was full 

 of ripe eggs. One spent female was captured June 5 and another June 18. 

 From May 30- June 22, numerous gravid females were observed or taken. Far 

 more than half of the adults were females and all of the specimens (11 in all) 

 from 33-37.5 mm., in length were of this sex while the largest male proved 

 32 mm. In the males the skin of the throat region seems more loose and dark 

 in color as in Hyla versicolor males. This large number of females seems 

 indicative of the approach or arrival of the breeding period. The wonder is 

 that none of us ever remembers hearing this form during the day, yet we 

 quite frequently found the species active and the examination of the females 

 showed them at the breeding point. Usually at the height of such periods 

 Hylas call by day as well as by night. No doubt some of the frog chorus of 

 the evening was of this species though we did not identify its call." This 

 implies May 6- June 22. 



On the basis of gravid or spent females we have in 19 12 records of spent 

 females, on May 29, June 5, June 7, June 15, June 16, June 18-20 (2), June 

 25-27. Of gravid females we recorded 13 frogs as follows: One before May 28, 

 May 30- June 2 (3), June i, June 5 (2), June 6-7 (2), June 12 (2), June 18-20, 

 June 21 (2). This means they begin breeding before May 28, and continued 

 after June 21. In 192 1 on the same basis we have spent females April 25 (4), 

 May 3, May 17, May 16-23, May 30 (2), June 5, June 23, June 30, July 3. 



