300 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



house and on the Island. Real season is summer time when there is plenty of 

 rainy weather. 'Spanish Curlews' once fed on them." 



While we were in the swamp we usually recorded this species either as 

 Barker, the Barking Frog or Coat Bets. The last refers to the normal note in 

 the breeding pools; the first two to a puzzle that perplexed us for two seasons. 



On May 22, 192 1, we ''heard in a tree a curious note or croak in the ham- 

 mock near Newt Pond. After a time it croaked more loudly from a moss- 

 laden black gum and was different. At first I thought it an aberrant H. 

 cinerea. Is it Hyla gratiosa?" June 5, 1922, in a cleared field near this 

 hammock we found 2 or 3 male Hyla gratiosa calling in regular fashion. On 

 July 16, "during the morning we heard a barking frog in the trees south of 

 camp. We are almost satisfied tonight that it is Hyla gratiosa." That night, 

 in a nearby pond was an immense chorus of "Coat Bets" (Hyla gratiosa). 



In 1922 the barkers perplexed us even more. Mr. R. A. Chesser told us 

 "the Barking Frog some folks say is a red-headed scorpion. I believe it is a 

 frog." On June 24, 1922, at the old railroad pools just south of Trader's Hill 

 "heard this form. It is in a grove of trees. One of our party wonders if it is 

 Hyla andersonii?" On June 26, the writer heard one in the high long-leafed 

 pines north of Starling Branch. On June 27, "at Camp Pinckney heard a 

 barking like frog. Later, on wild rice in the direction from which the noise 

 came was a curiously colored Hyla cinerea. Is it the barker? Does it call 

 differently when in high trees and when in breeding waters?" On July 2 

 "heard a barker near Anna's Pond." On July 11 and July 20 they were 

 barking on Chesser Island. Not until July 26 did we solve the puzzle. About 

 three miles along on the road from Chesser Island to Folkston we heard in the 

 evening "in a cypress pond to the right of the road some Hijla gratiosa and 

 beyond them, a barker or two. Went after the barker. Found one in a small 

 gum 4-5 feet, possibly 6 feet up. It is Hyla gratiosa! I saw him do it. Two 

 more barkers beside one I caught. Several Hyla gratiosa in water calling 

 normally. Is the barking note the call of the trees before reaching water 

 level. There is a great chorus of Coat Bets (normal caUing frogs) to the north- 

 ward." On August 16, 1922, at Hilhard, Florida, where we found both 

 spadefoots and Florida tree frogs breeding, 2-6 p.m., we heard barkers in 

 the pines near the place. At 7.15 p.m. Coat Bets began to croak in the trees, 

 but at times they were "Coat Bets" and at other times "Barkers." "Coat 

 Bets" and "Barkers" are one, Hyla gratiosa. 



A resume of the croaking dates for 192 1 and 1922 are as follows: 



1921 



May 22. Curious croak or note from moss-laden black gum in hammock, 

 Billy's Island. 

 3 croaking, Billy's Island. 



cf calling in Hammock. Another in overflow area near camp. 

 During the morning heard barking frogs in trees south of camp. 

 Immense chorus of H. gratiosa. 



