BATRACHIANS 309 



love songs of the prospective parents being typical of the 

 season. Toads' eggs are arranged in long, transparent 

 strings; those of frogs in gelatinous masses. These eggs 

 may be removed to the aquarium where, after a short period, 

 which may be only a very few days if the water is warm, the 

 tiny tadpoles will emerge. They are helpless little creatures 

 at first, but soon gain strength and are able to move about 

 actively. Algae are their favorite food, but they will eat 

 "almost anything available, such as lettuce leaves, bits of 

 scraped meat, yolk of boiled cgg^ fish food, etc. 



There are two tiny round pores at the sides of the head 

 which permit the escape of water which has been drawn into 

 the gills through the mouth and nostrils. After a time, 

 which varies according to the species (from three or four 

 weeks in the toads and tree frogs to one or two years in 

 the Bullfrog), tiny hind legs make their appearance, and 

 when they have become well formed the perfectly developed 

 fore limbs are thrust out through the gill openings. The 

 tail is gradually absorbed from within, and when it has 

 finally almost disappeared the little creature is ready to 

 change its environment. 



It is fascinating to watch the gradual widening of the 

 mouth from the tiny opening of the tadpole to the huge 

 gape of the adult creature. While this is taking place the 

 lungs are also coming into service, and one day our lowly 

 water creature emerges, free to move about as suits him 

 in the upper world. 



There are four distinct species of true toads (Bufoni- 

 D^), in eastern North America, and some ten are found in 

 various parts of the West. The American Toad (Bufo 

 americanus) is found everywhere east of the Rockies, and is 

 the most abundant form. Fowler's Toad {B. fowleri) is 

 found locally in New England and New York, but much 

 remains to be learned concerning its distribution. The two 



