Rana grijlio 383 



tions of body or coloring. The long narrow, pointed head, with its large eyes 

 set close together, tell the story at once. But other evidences lie in the ratio 

 of the lengths of head and body (...), in the greater length of toes (except the 

 fourth) (. . .), and in the finely pitted texture of the skin. In addition to all 

 these points, there is that of coloration. . . . Rana grylio shows close relation- 

 ship to Rana virgatipes of New Jersey in shape and proportion, metallic 

 coloring, texture of skin, large size of eyes and ears, in lacking the lateral folds, 

 and in aquatic habits." 



In 19 14 the author in the light of his 19 12 experiences with Rana grylio 

 made the following unfinished memoranda: "In many ways Ratia grylio ap- 

 proaches Rana virgatipes. Like the latter it has on the posterior faces of the 

 hind limbs alternating horizontal bands of dark and light colors. The general 

 mottlings of the venters and the coloration of the hind limbs to toe tips are 

 almost duplicate. The webbing of the hind toes is more or less similarly 

 mottled. The fore limbs of Rana grylio are more or less unicolor without the 

 characteristic dark anterior faces of R. virgatipes. Both have no dorsolateral 

 glandular folds. The four dorsal stripes of R. virgatipes are missing in R. 

 grylio and R. virgatipes has two phalanges of the fourth toe free." In 1924 

 (p. 141) in discussing Rana heckscheri we held "These southern bullfrogs or 

 ' Joe Browns' are very distinct in adult, tadpole and egg characters from the 

 bullfrog, Rana caiesbeiana." 



In 19 16 Dr. T. Barbour writes: "I think our famiharity with Rana grylio, 

 the big frog found swimming among the 'bonnets' in some of the Florida 

 lakes, has made this frog's relationship to the New Jersey sphagnum frog 

 seem doubly striking, for their coloration in life is astonishingly similar, and 

 in fact one seems to be but a miniature representative of the other." 



In 1920 Dr. Boulenger (p. 425) thought Rana catesbeiana and Rana grylio 

 near the intermediate form from which the other Ranas of North American 

 come rather than from Rana septentrionalis (Cope's belief). 



Rana grylio adults surely, as Dr. Barbour states, seem big editions of Rana 

 virgatipes in general coloration and general habitus. A young transformed 

 Rana grylio might more quickly be confused with an adult or half-grown Rana 

 virgatipes than with any other species of Rana. Their ranges overlap in the 

 Okefinokee. Both are very aquatic species and Rana virgatipes might be held 

 the northern offshoot. Usually we say R. grylio has not the two or four lateral 

 yellow brown or golden streaks on the body as has Rajia virgatipes. But I 

 have seen several recently transformed R. grylios with light streaks from eye 

 backward where a dorsolateral fold would be if present. And Viosca (1918, 

 p. 161) writes "Four hghter longitudinal bands of orange brown are sometimes 

 discernible on the back, especially in young specimens." 



In egg mass it has a film like Rana catesbeiana and R. claniitans, but in egg 

 characters it has an inner envelope of jelly like Rana clamitans. In tadpole 

 the body seems more like Rana clamitans but in size it is midway between 

 R. clamitans and R. catesbeiana. In mouth parts it is more of the R. clamitans 

 type. In transformation it occupies a median position between the two species. 

 It belongs in the Rana clamitans-catesbeiana group with close affinities also for 

 R. virgatipes. 



