Ra7ia virgatipes 441 



Aug. 8. Heard two at 8 a. m. (Temp. 79°). 

 " 9. At 3 and 4-5 a. m. heard several on prairie or at landing. Heard at 



night in bay. 

 " 10. Heard at 7. 

 " II. Calling at midnight. 



In other words, they start about dusk or sometimes before and gather 

 strength of chorus as midnight approaches. At 3 or 4 in the morning they go 

 strong. At daybreak one to several may be heard and these may continue 

 until 8:30-9 a. m. 



In 1922 on June 21 (Okefinokee Swamp) we have the record of another 

 call. "Male has two prominent lateral pouches. In this respect differs from 

 Rana grylio. When held in hand it will open its mouth and make a peculiar call. 

 Often it will swell up when held just as many a frog will when seized by a snake." 



On the night of July 21, 1922, when the frogs were actually breeding we 

 made these observations: "Whenever one approached within 5 feet or more 

 usually the male stopped croaking. Seldom indeed did the male croak after 

 the light was put on it. Anna found an area where she heard a scrambling. 

 One croaked under observation. We set up the camera. It moved on. In 

 this area about midnight we secured three exposures. They are strangely 

 silent and wary when one approaches. The croak may be of two parts, some- 

 times three, four or five parts. Each part occupies a second or less in duration. 

 This species has a pouch on either side. These are round vesicles perfectly 

 round when the frog is croaking and the throat does not inflate. Therein as 

 before remarked they differ from Rana grylio^ Rana clajnitans and Rana 

 catesbemna. In this regard they are more more like Rana sphenocephala? 

 Are its eggs to be in a film or a mass like Rana sphenocephala? Doubtless the 

 former." We made the wrong guess. The next morning revealed the answer. 



Our records for 1921-1922 indicate a range of croaking from June 9-Aug. 

 II. Mr. Benjamin Chesser of Chesser Island says "they croak in the spring 

 and summer alike during wet weather" and his father, R. A. Chesser, con- 

 sidered it one of the first frogs to begin croaking in the spring. 



On May 22, 1924, from Mr. Emlie's pond, Lakehurst, N. J. we "heard an 

 immense chorus at Lakehurst lake. It began just before dark." "R. virgatipes 

 is more of a night frog. Once in a while we heard it at day in cloudy weather." 



F. Harper makes these notes "call 2-5 times in series. Occasionally a 

 minor single note (between or preparatory to series.) Good loud clear note. 

 Frog sprawled in water like R. sphenocephala, or sitting half submerged, like 

 R. clamitans or perhaps only | under. Seldom less than about 15-30 seconds 

 between calls, intervals apparently irregular. Generally a silent premonitory 

 gulp. No swelling of throat but of lateral sacs, each to about h head. Between 

 each note collapse to about ^ size (small marble). At full inflation about 

 size of small persimmon or larger marble. Between series collapse entirely." 



MATING 



Male (From life, July 15 1921). Stripe down either side from eye to hind 

 leg hazel or fawn color. Back natal brown or chestnut brown. This color 

 with black spots on the back. Natal brown on dorsum of fore and hind legs. 



