66 



free ; spots of small size, scarcely bordered with pale ; no longitudinal 

 band on the front of femur. Mostly in Southern States, sphenocephala. 



Head of medium length, contained in length 3 times; snout pointed; 

 males with vocal vesicles ; heel reaching tip of snout ; web of foot leaving 

 two phalanges of fourth toe free ; spots of medium size, bordered with 

 pale color ; femur with a longitudinal band ; tibial bars divided into two 

 rows of spots. Maine to Mexico, but mostly in E. U. S. jnpiens. 



Head short, contained in the length 3.5 times; snout obtuse; vocal 

 vesicles rudimentary ; web of foot leaving nearly three phalanges free ; 

 spots larger and widely bordered with yellow ; cross bars of tibia com- 

 plete ; no longitudinal bar or femur. Maine to Oregon and Mexico, but 

 mostly Western U. S. brachjcephala. 



This species, as represented by its different varieties, is distributed all 

 over the eastern portion of the United States and west to Oregon, Nevada 

 and Mexico. The variety sjihenocephala is chiefly southern in its range, 

 pipiens (virescens of Cope) eastern and northern, and bracJiycephala west- 

 ern. Neither is confined, however, to these limits. With us the common 

 form is pipienA, and it is everywhere abundant. Sphenocephala is in the 

 National Museum from Wheatland, Ind., and to this I refer one specimen 

 from Lake Maxinkuckee, which I find in the collection of the State Nor- 

 mal School. One specimen in the same collection and taken at Camden, 

 Carroll County, had some of the characteristics of brachycephala. The 

 head is contained nearly 3.5 times in the total length. Three specimens 

 brought from Wabash County have the length of the head in length of 

 head and body only 2.66 times. These might be referred to sphenocephala. 



The Leopard Frog is our commonest, best known, and most beautiful 

 frog. It is likewise the one that first makes its appearance when in the 

 early spring the ice has relaxed its hold on the waters of our ponds and 

 streams. Its cry is one of the earliest of the vernal notes. Indeed, it is 

 no unusual thing, during an open winter, to hear its croak during the 

 •warmer days of midwinter. Its notes are of a varied kind. Prof. Cope 

 says that its voice may be imitated by the syllables chock, chock, chock ; 

 but at times it has a cry that sounds like derisive laughter, and again, a 

 sort of low, querrulous tone. Dr. Garnier (S2, '83, 949) speaks of its 

 "lugubrious and dismal love notes." Soon after it leaves its winter 

 quarters, it proceeds to lay and fertilize the eggs. These are extremely 

 numerous, and are laid in great masses, consisting of the small eggs en- 

 veloped in a large quantity of jelly. One pole of the egg is white, the 

 other black. I have record of the deposition of the eggs at Irvington on 

 March 18, and of the escape of the larva; by April 1. The latter are five- 

 sixteenths inch long; of this one-half is the broad tail. The numbers of 

 these to be seen sometimes in ponds is astonishing. These tadpoles grow 

 rapidly and transform during the first summer of their lives. 



