1076 Recent Studies of the Spade-foot Toad. [November, 
hole until April 15, when the weather becoming considerably 
cooler, they as suddenly disappeared as they had come. In May, 
1874, these toads appeared in like manner in the same locality, 
remained but a few days and were gone. In the intervening ten 
years not a specimen was seen or heard, although careful search, 
annually, was made. I supposed, when they appeared in April 
of the present year, that they spawned previous to their sudden 
disappearance, but neglected to investigate the matter in conse- 
quence of a press of work in other lines of investigation. The 
spade-foot toads were soon forgotten. The wealth of birdlife 
that came trooping in from the South during May, and their sub- 
sequent nesting, occupied my thoughts and were the prominent 
objects sought during my daily rambles. 
It was not long, however, before the spade-foots again became 
the prominent feature of the fauna of the neighborhood. During 
the night of June 25-26 a violent north-east storm arose, and 
rain fell in torrents. The sink-hole, which for weeks had been 
nearly dry, was again flooded, and on the afternoon of the 26th 
was literally alive with these rare toads. Sitting upon every pro- 
jecting stick or tuft of grass, or swimming with their heads above 
the surface of the water, were spade-foots by the hundred, and 
every one apparently uttering those shrill, ear-piercing groans 
that only these batrachians can utter. Not only during the day 
but all night their cries were kept up. The following day ga 
was no abatement, but during the night the sound decreased. i 
the morning of the 28th not an individual was to be seen 
heard. | 
During this brief interval these animals spawned, the oa 
being attached to blades of grass and slender twigs. a 
hatched on the 2d of July and a large series were gathere 
week later. ed from 
To return to the eggs. During the time that interven 
the laying of the eggs until I gathered specimens of thet se 
there occurred four moderately heavy showers, so that H he. 
in the sink-hole at no time disappeared, but was much mare : 
level that it reached during the protracted rain-fall of J ay 
Very much, therefore, of the spawn that was laid was high pies 
dry for from two to four days before hatching, and I suppose 
troyed, hole : 
-9a the evening of July 9 I found the water in the sink = 
