Hyla gratiosa 305 



They are easily seen. The Pseudacris eggs are harder to see." "None of these 

 eggs are H . femoralis eggs. I was careful not to scoop in surface packets which 

 were present. It is possible the yellowish single eggs are not of Acris but of 

 Hyla gratiosa or some other frog yet unknown." 



On the following morning one of the mated pairs had laid a large comple- 

 ment. It filled the pan and was continuous. The pair had no escape and 

 could not strew them singly. Thereafter and the next year whenever there 

 were congresses of this species we never found a continuous film of their eggs 

 on the surface of the water as this check would lead us to expect. It was laid 

 in abnormal surroundings. We compared these positive eggs of our laboratory 

 pair with the supposed single eggs of Acris taken in pond the day before. 

 The supposed Acris eggs were Hyla gratiosa eggs. 



Egg description. The measurements of 24-29 eggs give the following re- 

 sults: vitellus 2 of i.o; 8, 1.2 mm.; 12, 1.4 mm.; 6, 1.6 mm.; i, 1.8 mm.; range 

 1. 0-1.8 mm.; mode 1.4 mm., average 1.37 mm. The outer envelopes were i 

 of 2.3 mm.; i of 2.4 mm.; i, 3.0 mm.; 3, 3.8 mm.; 10, 4.0 mm.; 2, 4.6 mm.; i, 

 4.8 mm.; 5, 5.0 mm.; range 2.3-5.0; mode 4.0 mm.; average 4.06 mm. In the 

 field we measured the vitelli as 1.2-1.3 mm., and thought there was an inner 

 envelope. It is, however, the vitelline membrane far from the vitellus and 

 appearing as an inner envelope 1.6-2.0 mm. in diameter. The animal pole 

 is light brown or better olive in preserved eggs and the vegetative pole is 

 pale or yellowish. In nature it is above citrine or greenish brown and yellowish 

 below. 



We have not counted the ovarian egg complements of captive females. On 

 July 23, 1922, we counted 1/4 of the area of the photo of the complement of 

 July 18, 1921, and secured 521. This gives a complement of 2084, a fair 

 number for the complement of an average female of this largest tree frog in 

 eastern United States. The female which laid this 2084 complement is 59 

 mm.; our largest female specimen is 68 mm. 



Dangers. In general they choose cypress ponds. In that case the eggs 

 doubtless hatch before any danger from drying up. The males caught June 

 5, 192 1, July 3, 192 1 and pairs taken August 16, 1922 were from a corn field, 

 a pool by a wood pile and a shallow grassy temporary hole in the pine woods. 

 Every place would dry up in a few days at the most. The loss of tadpole life 

 would be great. No doubt this species suffers in this regard. It grows to the 

 largest Hyla size before transformation and the toll is surely great in this 

 species. 



HATCHING PERIOD 



The only record we have is from the pair caught the evening of July 17, 

 192 1. This pair laid eggs between 12:00 a.m.-6:oo a.m., July 18. On July 20, 

 we make the following note "No. 553 Hijla gratiosa eggs just hatched or better 

 night of July 19-20. Eggs laid in camp." This means two days from laying 

 in camp and in shallow water i inch or less. In nature they were in water 3 

 inches-i foot in depth. 



