Rana heckscheri 389 



cloudy with black or olivaceous black (3) or light vinaceous drab. Lower 

 sides mottled with black and light vinaceous fawn. Sides of face buffy brown. 

 Tympanum olive brown or natal brown. Center circle buffy brown. A dark 

 area in inguinal area. 



Iris black dotted with orange rufous. Pupil rim cadmium yellow. Iris en- 

 circled by pale green-yellow or bright green-yellow. 



When first caught very black and white beneath. 



Another male is olive or dark greenish olive above. 



Female (From life, June 10, 1928). Much the same as male but upper 

 parts much more spotted with black. Head spotted. Tympanum with 

 blotches of black or olivaceous black (3). Half bars on femur. Bar across 

 arm insertion. Throat with no or little oil yellow or sulphine yellow. White 

 spots or pale vinaceous fawn spots on rim of lower jaws prominent. Under- 

 parts not quite so spotted. Iris same as in male. 



Young transformed frogs. (June 10, 1928). A young transformed frog 

 has a prominent eye. Sometimes brick reddish. (3ften mars orange pre- 

 dominates over black and iris rim is orange rufous or brighter. Entire under 

 parts finely speckled white and deep olive gray or deep grayish olive. 



Structural differences. The male has very enlarged tympana, enlarged 

 thumb and doubtless is much more intense in ventral coloration if the younger 

 underdeveloped males be a criterion or index of the species type. Females 

 and young undeveloped males more often agree in coloration. Most of these 

 we lost and can remember them only as lighter in appearance. Probably the 

 species is of the R. clamitans or R. catesheiana type in amplexation. (1922). 



The characters given in 1923 hold but in addition we discover that the 

 males average somewhat smaller and rougher on the back and sides. Our 

 eight adults (two of 1922 and six of 1928) are five males and three females. 

 The males are 82, 95, 102, no and 113 mm. in body length and the females 

 are 122, 123, and 125 mm. respectively. 



Ainplexation. We have no observation. The enlarged thumbs and all 

 general assumptions or presumptions in the case point to a normal Rana 

 embrace. 



OVULATION 



Habitat. See General Habits and particularly General remarks under 

 Mature Tadpole. 



Period. In 1922 we had no positive record of ovulation. Recalling the 

 small tadpoles of June 16, 19 12, the tadpoles of Aug. 7-16, 192 1, and the small 

 tadpoles of St. Mary's River July 17, 1922 we then thought the period might 

 be from June i to July i or 5. 



The previous paragraph of 1923 is now supplemented by the impressions 

 of 1928 (June 8-10). There were transforming tadpoles, 80 or 85 mm.- 100 

 mm., and some with leg buds slight or none from 80-70 mm. at the type 

 locality. In the brickyard were transforming tadpoles and the small gold- 

 banded tadpoles of three groups (10-15 mm., 20-25 nim., 30-35 mm.). These 

 last three sizes indicate three breedings in the spring previous to June i. 

 Possibly they may be coincident with previous rainy periods in 1928 if there 



