Rana sphenocephala 429 



egg complement of this species as 1054 from a field note entry of 1922. On 

 July 16, 1922, we made a count of two egg complements. "The total count of 

 the two complements combined is 2 117. These two were relatively small 

 complements. The complement of a large female might reach 1 200-1 500 eggs 

 or even more." 



Dangers. Rapid drying of the ponds is a serious menace. On May 24, 

 192 1, we went to one pond which was drying up fast. The same night we 

 make this note: "Newt Pond much lower and two Rana sphenocephala masses 

 left high and dry. These laid a night or so ago. Even though the period of 

 hatching be short eggs attached to plant stems 2-6 inches beneath the surface 

 may be at the surface by hatching time from drying up of ponds. The name 

 Newt Pond above also suggests the one animal, the newt which relishes 

 frogs' eggs. 



An amusing mistake is apropos. On May 27, 192 1, on Billy's Island in a 

 run we found "some yellowish eggs fastened to a stick. They bother me. 

 What are they?" Because we wanted to see and thought we saw strings (like 

 those in Amphiuma) between the eggs we called it Siren Run. Later on May 

 27, we queried "What are the yellowish white eggs? They are beneath the 

 surface. Flat plinthhke somewhat like R. sphenocephala eggs in egg mass 

 form. They are near the edge of the run. Another bunch near the north 

 edge and an area of 6 or 7 bunches on the south side. Shallow water. One 

 mass amongst moss near clean water's edge." Later the same day we found 

 "There were some 6 or 8 more masses of Siren other than those I first recorded. 

 In amongst iris several were .5-.33 of an inch below the surface. They are 

 very loose masses. They are yellowish white with no particular animal or 

 vegetable pole so far as color is concerned. They are in areas: one of 5 masses; 

 one of 4; one of 2; and thus it goes. Does each mass represent a female? 

 Did she wind a mass around the stem?" Still later, the same day we noted 

 "5 masses of Siren. Two or three inches below the surface. These are near 

 an extending bar of land with a pine tree as its center. About it are Leucothoe 

 bushes, etc. All of five are on the south side. Some masses attached to 

 Leucothoe branches lying in the water. Another area of four, two at bases 

 of growing iris and two fastened to old iris blades in water. Masses 1-3 

 inches below the water. Water coffee-colored, sphagnum comes into the water. 

 On the surface above these Sireji (?) eggs are eggs of Hyla femoralis. This 

 Siren (?) Run has small pines, Leucothoe, Iris, Sphagnum, Ilex glahr-a outside 

 and Ilex cassine sapHngs, sedges, I tea, Smilax in run. The water where 

 Siren (?) eggs are is at least 85°-9o°." Before June 3, we found several more. 

 Now we are satisfied they were not Siren eggs but spoiled R. spheno- 

 cephala eggs. There were as many as 40 or 50 masses in all, similar in color. 

 None of these in the field hatched to our knowledge. We concluded that we 

 were straining our eyes to find a string of jelly between the respective eggs 

 and then knew they were not Siren eggs. On June 3 the "run was getting 

 very dry. Some of the eggs are high and dry." Quite Hkely this happened 

 when the eggs were first laid and they were spoiled by drying. Subsequently 

 it rained to reswell the jelly. Still we are puzzled by one entry in our journal 



