130 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:4— Apr., 1919 



chorus of peepers. It may be that the voice of the peeper helps, 

 as Thoreau says of the notes of the first Song Sparrow, "to crack 

 the ice in the ponds." 



Nearly every one has heard the piping frogs in the spring, but 

 how few there are that have ever seen them! It is not strange, 

 however, that the pipers have escaped detection, for they are such 

 little midgets of frogs, averaging from three-quarters of an inch to 

 an inch in length, for the males, and slightly longer for the females. 

 These little peepers are full grown frogs, however, and not young 

 frogs of other species, as some suppose them to be. 



The smooth shiny skin of the adult is marked with varying 

 shades of brown, variegated with darker dots and lines. A charac- 

 teristic X-shaped design occurs on the back, whence Hyla crucifer 

 derives his appellation of cross bearer. Both the fore and the hind 

 limbs are crossbarred. The under parts are usually tinted a dull, 

 creamy white. Beside the protection afforded by its diminutive 

 size, Hyla has the power, similar to that which the chameleon 

 possesses, of changing its color to match the background upon 

 which it rests. Normally the general tone of the creature is of a 

 light yellowish brown, but it may effect a change in a half hour to a 

 pale greyish yellow, dark wood brown, or even a reddish or salmon 

 brown. 



The peepers are the least shy of all our frogs and toads. If one 

 cautiously approaches the pool where these choiristers are niimer- 

 ous, and sits down patiently to wait, his effort will probably be 

 rewarded ere long by the sight of first one, and then other little 

 peepers which appear floating on twigs or leaves or perched on 

 grasses or cat-tail stems, or seated along the edge of the pool. One 

 of the best times to see peepers, and to catch them, if this latter is 

 desired, is at night. . At such times they seem neither to hear nor to 

 see the intruder, nor do they object to the strong light from a 

 lantern. 



At night their songs are rendered from the open, but by day they 

 remain more or less concealed. It is only the male which possesses 

 the vocal sac and that sings. The female produces no note. 

 When a frog is about to peep the lungs are filled with air (expanding 

 apparently his whole body) which is then injected into the grayish 

 vocal sac underneath his chin. This fills out into a globular, 

 moist, glistening, translucent bubble of tissue half the size of his 

 entire body. The sac is kept distended for several minutes at a 



