TURTLES AND BATRACHIANS OF THE LAKE REGION. 509 



usually unmated males. They sit at the water's edge and call with a tremu- 

 lous, harcUy musical, note, beginning with explosive emphasis and dying 

 down at the end, the loose skin under the throat being blown up into a hemi- 

 spherical bubble while they call. A good many dead toads were found in the 

 pool at the same time, indicating that the mating season is one of especial 

 mortality among them. The female toads were noted spawning while clasped 

 by the male. The eggs are laid in gelatinous strings, 2 strings laid at a time, 

 each string of clear jelly, about 3-16 inch in diameter and containing 2 rows 

 of eggs, black objects about the size of pinheads with a whitish point on each. 

 While carried in a closed vessel the toads uttered a Ioav purring humming 

 noise, quite pleasing to the ear. Two were kept in a bucket over night 

 and a number of eggs were found there in the morning. 



The toads of this region represent 2 distinct color phases, one type being 

 more or less slaty blue and the other brick red. This difference in color is 

 not usually noted when one sees single toads hopping about, but where 

 numbers are congi'egated during the breeding season the contrast is quite 

 noticeable. It appears to have nothing to do with age or sex, and toads of 

 different colors are often found mating together. 



The toads spawn in the lake as well as in the shallow^ pools. The eggs 

 soon hatch into small black tadpoles which, in warm water, rapidly develop 

 into minute toads, which can be seen hopping along shore. Young toads 

 were seen hopping about on July 27; they are almost black, much darker 

 than then- parents. After mating and spawning, the toads scatter again, 

 and in the autumn one comes across them of various sizes, the variation in 

 size being probably the result of the long breeding season. 



The toad is a decidedly beneficidl creature, as it captures great numbers 

 of insects. They frequently fall a prey to snakes, and these, with the excep- 

 tion of thoughtless boys, appea.r to be their only enemj-. 



In addition to its mating song the toad appears to have a song it sings 

 on land, a low, pleasing, tremulous strain. 



The singing is often prolonged late into the summer, and "its music in 

 retired ponds and sw^amps, as darkness creeps over the face of nature, is 

 both weird and somnific." 



10. Acris gryllus (Le Conte). 



Cricket Frog. 



The Cricket Frog is common in swamps throughout the eastern United 

 States. It is common along the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee, but more 

 particularly abundant along such parts of the lake edge as are low and 

 swampy. It is abundant along the shores of the various inlets of the lake, 

 and quite common about the Outlet and the shores of Lost Lake. Numerous 

 examples w^ere taken representing all parts of the shore, and the various 

 inlets of the lake. 



