A NEW SPECIES OF BULLFROG FROM FLORIDA AND 
THE GULF COAST. 
By Leonhakd Stejneger, 
Curator, Division of Reptiles and BatracMans. 
A few years ago Mr. RolxTt Ridgwa}', returning from a collecting 
trip in southern Florida, assured me that the bullfrog there had such 
a peculiar voice that he could scarcely believe it to be the same 
species as the one found elsewhere in the United States. Moreover, 
it was so excessively shy and wary that he had failed to secure any 
specimens. Requests were sent to various correspondents to catch 
and forwai'd specimens, but ih&y were equally unsuccessful. 
During the summer of 1900 Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, jr., obtained a 
series of live bullfrogs from New Hauipshire and another from Ba}^ 
St. Louis, Mississippi, all of which he kindl}" donated to the Museum. 
It w^as at once apparent that there was a great difference between the 
two lots, the northern ones being much greener and lighter, the 
southern specimens being brown and dark, with very little green. 
The large series of alcoholic bullfrogs in the collection of the U. S. 
National Museum failed to throw an}" light upon this question. The 
difference of the proportions of the toes was also noted, but as speci- 
mens from New Orleans did not correspond in this respect the impor- 
tance of that character was not realized at the time, and the question 
of the specific or subspecitic distinction of the Bay St. Louis speci- 
mens was left in abej^ance pending the accumulation of additional 
material. 
This additional material was obtained recently when Dr. E. A. 
Mearns, U. S. A., sent a lot of bullfrogs from Kissimmee, Florida, 
with the statement that their voice was entirely different from that of 
the northern bullfrogs, resembling the grunt of a herd of pigs. He 
also reported that the}^ were very difficult to catch. 
Here was clearly the Florida bullfrog mentioned by Mr. Ridgway, 
and a direct comparison with the Bay St. Louis specimens proved the 
identity of the Florida and Mississippi form. The whole series of 
the museum was then carefully reviewed, with the result of finding two 
additional specimens of the new species from Pensacola. 
Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXIV— No. 1252. 
211 
