460 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



In 1855 Le Conte (1855, p. 431) closes his catalogue with the following 

 note: "There is in the water of ponds and ditches a small frog whose note 

 exactly resembles the bleating of a lamb, so truly as to deceive any one. 

 This animal I have seen, but never succeeded in catching it. It is very 

 common in Georgia and I have heard it as far North as Norfolk in Virginia. 

 It is left to the inhabitants of those parts of our country to determine what 

 it is." It is unmistakably Gastrophryne carolinensis. 



In 1891 J. A. Ryder (1891, p. 838) writes "This interesting Batrachian 

 occurs in the Piedmont section of North Carohna, near Littleton, and within 

 twelve miles of the southern boundary of Virginia. Its presence after a rain 

 may be discovered by its peculiarly plaintive note." 



In 1914 Deckert (No. 9, p. i) writes "After thundershowers, however, 

 every pool and ditch resounds with its cry, which sounds Hke a nasal 'baa,' 

 or 'bee' and has also some resemblance to the noise made by an electric 

 buzzer." In 1924 (p. 60) G. S. Myers writes of it at Wilmington, N. C. as 

 follows: "The call, as heard in the terrarium reminds one of a loud electric 

 buzzer." 



In 1 9 18 Philip H, Pope (19 19, p. 94) found them at Houston, Texas, 

 "June IS, 19 18. A heavy thunder shower brought out the narrow-mouthed 

 toads. Found them abundant and noisy in a large rain pool about ten o'clock 

 at night. The call is harsh and grating, almost a bleat. It is repeated fre- 

 quently but not as rapidly as that of the Hylas. The males sit in the water 

 in the thick grass that fringes the pools, and are almost impossible to find with 

 a light, although they are not at all shy. Collected six specimens by treading 

 down the grass into the water and catching them as they swam. They swim 

 slowly with their short legs and webless feet and do not dive when disturbed 

 as frogs and toads do. From this date until the middle of August I heard 

 them frequently, but seldom in any abundance. After a rain one could be 

 heard now and then in a pool or roadside ditch, before sunset as well as at 

 night. 



In 1 91 2 we made the following notes: This species was seldom heard 

 during the party's stay within the swamp. Only on the 6th and 7th of June 

 did we hear it. In the evening of the 6th, this curious frog note arrested our 

 attention. To some it sounded like the bleat of a young lamb; to another 

 it resembled the note of a woodcock. All agreed it was very nasal and wholly 

 unlike that of a toad. As one approached the frogs the shrillness of the note 

 became very marked. On the following afternoon the frogs began again 

 during a rain. The natives associate it with such weather and term it the 

 "Rainy Day Frog." 



In 192 1 our first records on calling came on May 21. Then and on the 

 day before the Gastrophryne began to "bleat like a lamb or calf. They 

 stopped to find Gastrophryne in a ditch. Sometimes they are under the 

 bank. One was thus. Another was out on the side of the bank. Its throat 

 like a Bufo terrestris throat. Black in color." On that date Mr. Harper 

 and I counted the intervals and periods of calls. His record of these 3 7 inter- 

 vals is from 3-58 seconds, at least 20 of which were 30 seconds or more and 



