464 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1135 



prolonged trill resembling the characteristic 

 song of the common toad. 



While living at Clarendon, Va., near Vinson 

 Station, the writer every spring has heard 

 the steady, trilling monotone of a toad which 

 he believed to be the common toad, Bufo 

 americanus. These notes were among the first 

 batrachian voices to be noted in springtime 

 and were uttered more or less intermittently 

 throughout the greater part of May. On May 

 2, 1916, the writer established the identity of 

 the toad producing these trilling notes. Sev- 

 eral 2 of these toads were captured in the filthy 

 stream just north of Steele's Barn, near Vin- 

 son Station; others were captured in the stag- 

 nant pools along Tort Avenue, near Maple 

 Street. These toads produced the steady, 

 trilling monotone resembling the song of Bufo 

 americanus as it is heard in New England. 

 Although the trill of Bufo americanus some- 

 times continues for 30 seconds or longer, the 

 trill of the toads captured near Vinson Sta- 

 tion lasts only from 10 to 20 seconds. Al- 

 though very variable in size, markings and 

 general coloration, these toads are unques- 

 tionably Fowler's toads and can not be dis- 

 tinguished from individuals producing the 

 typical, droning scream which lasts only for 

 2 to 3 seconds. Individuals producing these 

 notes were captured at the same time and in 

 the same localities. 



The iris of both forms is bronze. Although 

 Miller and Chapin 3 are of the opinion that the 

 iris of Bufo americanus is bronze and the iris 

 of Bufo fowleri is silvery in color, it is evi- 

 dent that such distinctions can not be relied 

 upon in the diagnosis of the two toads. 



It is hard to explain why some individuals of 

 Bufo fowleri produce a steady, trilling note 

 while others produce a brief, droning scream. 

 These vocal differences, however, are in some 

 manner correlated with fundamental differ- 

 ences of physiology and habit, since the trill- 



2 These toads are now in the collection of the 

 TJ. S. National Museum under accession number 

 59692. 



3 Miller, W. De W., and Chapin, James, ' ' The 

 Progs of the Northeastern United States," Sci- 

 ence, N. S., Vol. 32, No. 818, September 2, 1910. 



ing form is first to appear in spring and is 

 rarely heard when the typical mating song of 

 Bufo fowleri begins. In 1915, the brief, 

 droning scream of Bufo fowleri was not heard 

 at Clarendon, Va., until May 2. The trilling 

 form is always heard early in April, several 

 weeks before this period. After May 15 the 

 trilling form is rarely heard, while the form 

 with the brief, droning scream is heard until 

 August. 



The range of Fowler's toad has yet to be 

 clearly established. The writer found this toad 

 extremely common at Thompson's Mills, in 

 northern Georgia. Whether or not this toad 

 occurs in the Coastal Plain region of this 

 state, or extends its range into the Gulf States, 

 is not known. The westward distribution of 

 Fowler's toad has also to be determined. Noth- 

 ing definite is known concerning the relation- 

 ship of this toad to Bufo americanus in the 

 north, or to Bufo lentiginosus in the south. 



H. A. Allaed 

 Washington, D. C. 



BETTER COORDINATION OF UNDERGRADUATE 

 COURSES 



To the Editor of Science : A questionnaire 

 recently circulated among alumni by the Uni- 

 versity of Minnesota (J. B. Johnson, dean), 

 includes a call for suggestions as to the better 

 preparation of students for public service. As 

 the following proposal is not really limited to 

 that application, but appears to be of a char- 

 acter to which the columns of Science have 

 been open, I respectfully submit it for publica- 

 tion or other disposition as may to you seem fit : 



Provide, in undergraduate courses and even 

 at great expense, for " laboratory " use of that 

 modern language elected by any group of stu- 

 dents carrying at the same time (say) French 

 or German and (say) physics, chemistry, ani- 

 mal biology, or history of European diplomacy. 



When in college, the undersigned was not 

 alone in wishing that the assistants in charge 

 of laboratory hours would give their directions 

 in, e. g., French — resorting to English only as 

 might be rendered necessary by a student's 

 failure otherwise to comprehend. The carry- 

 ing out of this proposal would of course re- 



