mALRACHIANS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 189 
Most batrachians, particularly those species with a rough skin, 
secrete a certain amount of this irritant.! 
The Toad is protected by the characters just mentioned from 
attack by most mammals and birds. The species of snakes, 
however, that prey upon cold-blooded creatures, appear to 
prefer toads to frogs. 
In its metamorphosis the Toad differs somewhat from the 
frogs. It leaves its place of hibernation rather late, not until 
warm weather has become established in the spring, when the 
weird, drawn-out trill of the males is heard about rain pools and 
shallow bodies of still water. The eggs are deposited in long 
strings.2 After the strings have absorbed the required amount 
of water through their transparent covering and le upon the 
bottom undergoing development. Each egg measures about a 
quarter of an inch in diameter. The tadpoles emerge from the 
eggs after a period of eight to ten days from deposition. They 
resemble minute leeches and cling for some hours to the leaves of 
aquatic plants by means of small suckers on the lower surface 
of the head. Within forty-eight hours they cease the clinging 
stage and wriggle their way about by means of a rapidly de- 
veloping, fin-like tail. Four days after hatching they are agile 
swimmers and feed upon mossy growths of the pool. 
The writer has made the following observations upon growth 
during the tadpole stage: 
May 3. Tadpoleshatched. Clinging stage..... Length, 4 inch 
“4. Body more elongate; swimming feebly 
A ROGUCIML TMGEL VAIS. cc tase. on foe: ro x os zi 
mela distinetly compressed...........% 
malail shows fin-like edges! 022... .05.. 
7. Tail fully developed; feeding.......... 
12. Body assuming stout oo Seer 
ee. Color above jet. black. . sa hee ‘ 
25. Tadpoles appear fully grown and anistee 
in masses in very shallow places..... : 1; inches 
‘ Among the local frogs the character named is strongly evidenced by the 
Leopard Frog (Rana palustris). When handled, this species gives out a strong 
odor. Few snakes will eat it. 
2 The eggs of the frogs are deposited in masses. 
