710 On the Habits of the "Savannah Cricket Frog." [September, 



unnatural conditions, and had, at the time of this writing, been 

 without food for one hundred days, and at the same time re- 

 mained as active as squirrels. 



Sensitive as these " peepers " are to changes of temperature, it 

 is by no means the first frost that drives them into their winter 

 quarters. In the autumn of the past year (1881) I found them 

 last as late as Nov. 12th, but even later (Dec. 27th) my son found 

 one in the meadows which was as lively as a cricket. The frogs 

 generally were singing this day. For more than two weeks prior 

 to Nov. 1 2th there had -been several white frosts, and the true 

 frogs (Ranae) had all disappeared except such few as lingered in 

 the warm waters of the larger springs. Not so, however, with 

 the " peepers ;" the cozy, sheltered nooks in the ravine I have 

 mentioned, afforded them comfortable quarters still, and after a 

 severe rainstorm which lasted for three days, I found numerous 

 specimens near the brook, always in moist places but not where 

 it would be called wet. In many instances they were found 

 adhering to the under sides of projecting stones, roots of trees, 

 and even to large oak leaves. I find it stated by De Kay in Natural 

 History of New York, that they cannot retain their hold upon 

 the under sides of projecting objects; that the discs on their toes 

 are not sufficiently large. This is an error ; indeed, the speci- 

 mens I have in a bottle, can retain their hold when the bottle is 

 turned over. 



My impression is, that they do not require or partake of any 

 food during their brief experience as matured " peepers " in 

 autumn (i. e., from completion of the growth of their limbs in 

 September to the commencement of their hibernation). My rea- 

 son for this is based upon the fact that the specimens in a bottle, 

 to which I have referred, were placed in confinement on the 20th 

 of October, 1881, and the date of writing, Jan. 29, 1882, a period 

 of one hundred days has just elapsed. During this time these 

 " peepers " have had no food, have been quite as active as 

 their limited quarters would permit, and yet have not lost weight 

 to any important extent. One which I weighed on the day fol- 

 lowing its capture weighed forty-four grains, and seventy-five 

 days later had lost but one grain in weight. 



It is very different in the spring; then they are voracious feed- 

 ers, and capture millions of minute insects. At this time their 

 stomachs are always full ; and while the size of the animal is not 



