Rona heckscheri 385 



ville, Florida." On August 15, 193 1, Morrow J. Allen, of the Caribbean 

 Biological Laboratories, Biloxi, Mississippi, sends me "under separate cover 

 two specimens of a tadpole that were taken last month in the overflow of a 

 stream along with about 25 others. I have never seen this tadpole before 

 and ask if you will give me the identification. I notice that the plate of the 

 tadpole of Rana heckscheri in your synopsis of North American tadpoles some- 

 what resembles it." They are Rana heckscheri tadpoles. 



Local Okefinokee records. No adult specimens have been taken within the 

 swamp. 



GENERAL APPEARANCE 



It looks like a big Rana clamitans with melanistic and sulphur venter. It 

 has more rough dorsum than Rana clamitans, Rana catesbeiana or Rana grylio. 



COLORATION OF SPIRIT SPECIMENS (1922) 

 In spirits, four 95 mm. males of four species are as follows: bister or mummy 

 brown on dorsum of R. catesbeiana, brownish olive in R. grylio, deep grayish 

 olive in R. clamitans, and deep mouse gray in R. heckscheri; upper parts with- 

 out very distinct dark spots in R. clamitans and R. cateheiana, with prominent 

 large black spots in R. grylio, and with many small dark spots R. heckscheri; 

 venter of R. clamitans clear white except for the yellow throat, venter of R. 

 catesbeiana heavily blotched with black, so also in R. grylio — all three, how- 

 ever, with a white background color but in R. heckscheri the deep mouse gray 

 or dark color so prominent it becomes the background color and the white, 

 scattering spots; light spots on upper and lower jaws more prominent than in 

 R. clamitans. Throat in males prominently deep mouse gray, deep neutral 

 gray or violet slate while female's throat is whitish. 



MEASUREMENTS 



(Recent Material) 



Head to angle of mouth 1.2 (36 mm.) — 1.25 (44 mm.) — 1.2 (56 mm.) — 

 1. 31 (82 mm. cf) — 1. 17 (95 mm. cf") — 1.2 (113 mm. cf — 1.16 (125 mm. 9) 

 in width of head; head to rear of tympanum i. 0-.93-1. 04-1. ii-i. 08-1. 09-1. 09 

 in width of head; head to angle of mouth 3.0-3.-3.66-2.8-2.82-2.7 1-2.82-3.0 

 in length of body; head to rear of tympanum 2.5-2.75-2.43-2.41-2.5-2.56-2.9 

 in length of body; snout .84-1.0-.9-.71-.69-1. 0-1.05 in fourth finger; snout 

 1. 0-1.35-.8-.78-.81-1. 06-1.05 in first toe; eye i. 4-1. 07-1. 43-1. 55-1. 6-1. 36- 

 1.4 in snout; eye .60- 54-. 70-1. 3-1. 3-1. 3 6-.85 in tympanum; eye i. 2-1. 08- 

 i-3~i-33~i-3~i-36-i.4 in first finger; tympanum 3.66-3.86-3.1-1.5-1.61-.53- 

 2.2 in intertympanic width; tympanum 2.33-2.0-2.0-1. 16-1. 23-1. 0-1.65 in 

 snout; internasal width 1.0-.9-1. 08-1. 43-1. 07-1. o-i.o in upper eyelid width; 

 interorbital width 1.0-1.0-2.0-1.14-.83-1.36-1.2 in upper eyelid width; 

 interorbital width i.o-i.i 1-1.83-1.0-.77-1.36-1.2 in internasal width; inter- 

 orbital width 2.75 3. 0-5. 16-2. 57-2. 33-1. 3-3. 25 in intertympanic width. 



Forelimb: 2.0-2.0-1.93-2.34-2.0-2.5-2.2 in length (snout to vent) ; forehmb 

 2.72-2.9-2.9-3.4-2.83-3.5-2.8 in hind limb; first finger i. 33-1. 43-1. ii-i. 08 



