43 o Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



that some of the eggs on May 28 hatched at noon in camp. If this be true 

 they are albinistic but why should 50 pairs of frogs lay albinistic eggs? Herein 

 doubtless lies another mistake on our part, a problem we did not entirely 

 solve. 



HATCHING PERIOD 



Eggs taken April 24, 192 1, 4:00 p.m. from a mass very fresh apparently 

 laid the evening of April 23-24 hatched "a day before April 28." On April 

 28, we make the entry: "Today some of the eggs of R. sphenocephala are 

 hatched. Taken April 24. Four or five days for hatching." The air tem- 

 peratures at night went down to 60° and by day up to 90° in this period. Of 

 the same eggs in the field we note on April 28 that "over in Ra7ia spheno- 

 cephala pond the eggs laid night of April 23-24 have been hatched a day. 

 Temperature of water at 4:00 p.m., 82°." In another pond one of the boys 

 found masses hatching April 28. They were close to the surface where the 

 water at 3:00 p.m. was 90°. On May 13 we found several masses and on 

 May 16 they were hatched and gone. Masses found May 21 were hatched 

 May 24. Other masses found on July i and June 30 were hatched and 

 hatching and not yet hatched on July 5. 



In 1922 in the morning of July 13 at 12:30-1 :00 a.m. we heard a great chorus. 

 Visited the spot and found fresh masses. These eggs were ready to hatch 

 and hatching July 16. The air temperatures ranged from 68° at night to 

 88° at night in this interval. 



We thus have 3-5 days for hatching in these April- July months. Possibly 

 in the late fall and winter months it may require almost as long a period as 

 for our northern R. pipiens. 



MATURE TADPOLE 



Color description from life {June 23, 1921). On sides of the body and over 

 the back yellowish olive or oil green, warbler green or olive green. The back 

 and sides are with conspicuous black spots. On the sides and over the 

 bronchial and pectoral regions is a mottling of light brownish vinaceous or 

 pale vinaceous drab, giving a bronzy appearance. The middle of the belly 

 is a solid color pale cinnamon pink, light vinaceous cinnamon or vinaceous 

 cinnamon. 



Tail. The muscular part of the tail, upper and lower crests are with 

 larger black conspicuous spots than the body. The tail has some pale pur- 

 phsh gray, purple gray, pale violet-gray or violet-gray. 



Iris black heavily punctate with greenish yellow dots; inner rim orange. 



General appearance. Tadpole large (74.5 mm.) full and deep bodied. 

 Venter (Uke that of R. pipiens) not strongly pigmented so that viscera 

 clearly show through in life or in preserved specimens. Tail medium in 

 length, tip acute. Dorsal crest in width not equal to depth of musculature 

 and extending on to body somewhat ahead of the vertical of the hind legs. 

 Spiracle sinistral, decidedly upward and backward in direction, just below 

 axis of the body. Eye on lateral axis and nearer lateral outline in dorsal 

 aspect than mid dorsal line. Anus dextral, opening round or elHptical; mucif- 



