Rana seyientrionalis 401 



Nos. 36096-99. 62 mm. 6^, 62 mm. 9 , 57 mm. cf , 56 mm. cf . These 

 are all with distinct and separate spots on back. 



No. 3632. 41 mm. Speckly on sides. 



Nos. 28450-56. 41 mm. -48 mm. 9, backs almost uniform. 



No. 3437. 53 mm. c?'. Spots few on rear of back only. Legs much 

 spotted. 

 72 mm. 9 . Forward part of body less spotted. 



No. 5245. 58 mm. 9 , 67 mm. 9 . In general mottled with large 

 dark areas and a tracery of light around them. 

 This species is quite common in more northern parts. Except at its short 

 croaking period it is generally passed by as a small bullfrog or green frog, 

 and as a consequence is pronounced "not common," "rare." It is called 

 northern frog from its specific name and from its northern distribution, — a 

 not inappropriate name except it is not individualistic. Gamier hke others 

 subsequently noted its secretions. He writes (1883, p. 945) "If taken in the 

 hand it emits a strong odor of musk and garlic, or more properly the disagree- 

 able scent of the mink; this is sufficiently powerful to adhere to the hand for 

 a time, but soon passes away." (p. 948) "The tadpole has the odor of the 

 frog, though not so strong; ..." In 19 13 I thought the term "mink frog 

 very apropos for this species, at least for Ontario specimens. ..." I have 

 since noticed some have it more than others and possibly the males have it 

 strongest at the breeding season. At times some Rana septentrionaUs have 

 the scent very faint and do not always respond with the secretion flow when 

 rubbed. All in all, this is the best name suggested. One day I put several 

 in a glass jar with several meadow frogs, some R. virgatipes and two green 

 frogs. Almost all were dead on the following morning including the two mink 

 frogs. Did the secretions cause it as some times happens with R. palustris* 

 The terms "hoosier frog," "Rocky Mountain frog" seem inappropriate. 



Of its general habits Gamier writes (pp. 940, 948) "In summer they may 

 often be seen with the head and a bit of the back out of water, resting among 

 plants on the borders of streams, and where the Potamogeton is in bunches, 

 or the Ranunculus is in beds, the herpetologist may likely secure his speci- 

 mens." "But if the frog once disappears, he generally keeps from view till 

 all probable danger is past. It is useless to expect it to reappear at the spot 

 it left, as it dives several yards, it may be, rods, before it stops. I have 

 occasionally waited half an hour or more, watching one that has so dived 

 beside a stone, in the current or otherwise. Perhaps they may have been so 

 really frightened and the feeling of fear may have remained, or they may 

 have followed some law of nature implanted with them in keeping concealed 

 for such a protracted period. Occasionally I have heard their notes after 

 they were secured and in my collecting case; but then it seemed truly a note 

 of distress, and was in a different tone and key from that rarely heard in the 

 open stream." 



The experience of several subsequent collectors prove them not hard to 

 capture at all at the breeding period and Mr. Simpson's capture of 30-40 at 

 one time in August from lily pads with an insect net hardly accords with 

 Garnier's results. Possibly stream or river specimens may be harder to secure. 



