390 



Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



were such and the period of ovulation extends from the last of April or May i 

 to July 5 or 8. The voice records of June 8-10, 1928, Aug. 10-17, 192 1, and 

 Aug. 18, 1922 might indicate breeding from June 8-Aug. 18. At none of these 

 periods were choruses heard. Of the three females taken June 8-10 one was 

 unspent and two spent. June 10 therefore is not past the ovulation period. 

 No doubt as in Rana clamitans, R. catesbeiana and Rana grylio this species 

 occasionally breeds in August. 



EGGS 



In 1922 we found on July 17 at Thompson landing, St. Mary's River 

 many small R. heckscheri tadpoles. Then we thought them H. cinerea. It 

 was not until a month later in another place we found large tadpoles and 

 adult frogs which evidence revealed that it was a new form, R. heckscheri. 

 Not until recently did we recall that in a nearby pool (20-30 ft.) away from 

 the place of the Uttle Rana heckscheri tadpoles did we find (July 9) a large 

 film of eggs which we then interpreted as Rana clamitans. Besides a Rana 

 clamitans male was in this pool. This happened eight days before the dis- 

 covery of the small tadpoles. We now label the photo. Rana clamitans — 

 R. heckscheri (?), They may have been the latter. One would expect it to 

 lay a film of many eggs. In 1923 (p. 406) we placed the tadpole under those 

 frogs which laid their eggs in films. It was a mistake to place them so posi- 

 tively. They should have been placed in a category of "eggs unknown". An 

 estimate of the eggs of the two ovaries of the unspent female (123 mm. long) 

 is 8000-6000. This complement is greater than that of R. clamitans but no 

 more than that of Raiia grylio or Rana catesbeiana. The an mal pole is black; 

 the vegetative pole is white. The vitellus in diameter approximately ranges 

 from 1.5-2.0 mm. Not enough material is at hand to compare eggs carefully 

 with the above species. Mr. 0. C. Van Hyning reports their eggs and adults 

 from Georgia in 1930. 



MATURE TADPOLE 



In 1923 (p. 406) we characterized the tadpole thus: ''Rana sp. — black- 

 rimmed and black-banded tail, bluish venter, dorsum with greenish yellow 

 flecks." 



Color description from life {July 21, 1922). Body dark greenish-olive or 

 ohve, finely covered with pale green-yellow or pale greenish-yellow flecks or 

 spots on the dorsum. On venter they are vinaceous fawn, vinaceous cinnamon 

 or orange vinaceous. Just back of angle of mouth in a mature tadpole and on 

 the venter is a clump of 4 to 6 much larger spots. Lower belly pale forget-me- 

 not blue to upper belly and breast jay-blue. Chapman's blue or grayish 

 violaceous blue. Spots of black become thicker on lower belly and at times 

 almost touch or make patches of color. Lateral line pores very prominent on 

 the head and body. 



Ventral half of muscular part of the tail light salmon orange or apricot 

 buff or vinaceous cinnamon or ochraceous salmon. Upper half of the muscular 

 part with a black band on caudal two-thirds and more or less merged into 

 body color at its basal third. The black bandlike effect is produced by oblique 



